Monday 16 February 2015 12:53, UK
Scotland will be without prop Jon Welsh for the rest of the RBS Six Nations Championship after he fractured his hand during Sunday’s 26-23 loss to Wales.
Welsh came off the bench with half an hour to go at Murrayfield and scored a try from close range in the closing stages as the Scots narrowly failed to win their first Six Nations game of the season.
But the Scottish Rugby Union have announced that the 28-year-old Glasgow Warrior will now require an operation on his injured hand and will have to sit out the remainder of the tournament.
The Scotland medical team are also keeping a watchful eye over a number of other players, including Welsh’s fellow replacement Gordon Reid, who suffered a blow to his head and also strained his knee.
The SRU said: “Reid is 'symptom free' from his head knock. However, given the mechanism of his injury, it is being treated as a concussion, requiring him to undergo the mandatory graduated return to play protocol.
“His knee is being scanned at Spire Murrayfield Hospital. The outcome will determine the length of rehabilitation, in addition to the recovery from his head knock.
“(Lock) Richie Gray sustained an injury to his upper arm and will also be scanned at Spire Murrayfield Hospital. A further update will follow later in the week.
“Sam Hidalgo-Clyne finished the game. However, he developed mild symptoms of a possible delayed concussion and will be treated as such.”
Scotland’s next match is against Italy in Edinburgh on February 28 and they will then head to Twickenham to face England on March 14 before their final match of the tournament at home to Ireland a week later.
