Thursday 26 March 2015 17:52, UK
Glasgow Warriors’ Alex Dunbar could miss the Rugby World Cup later this year after undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
The Scotland centre injured his knee during a training session as his side prepared to face England in the Six Nations earlier this month.
He now faces a race against time to be fit for the start of the tournament in September as he faces between six to nine months on the sidelines.
A statement on the Warriors website said: “Alex Dunbar has undergone his ACL reconstruction under the care of London-based orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Andy Williams, and has commenced his rehabilitation with a timescale of around six to nine months.”
And Warriors' hopes of Guinness PRO12 glory have been further hit with the news Dunbar's team-mate Sean Lamont could also miss the rest of the season after a scan revealed he had suffered ligament damage.
The Warriors are currently four points clear of Ulster and Munster at the top of the table.
Scotland wing Lamont also missed the Calcutta Cup match at Twickenham after picking up the injury while on club duty against Zebre.
A further statement on the Warriors website said: “Following his knee injury against Zebre earlier this month, Sean Lamont underwent an MRI scan at BMI Ross Hall Hospital, which confirmed that he had sustained a ligament injury.
“Sean was also assessed by Mr Williams in London and is expected to be out of action for a further nine weeks.”
Rossouw de Klerk and Ryan Grant are also facing spells out, although the Warriors confirmed the latter will not need surgery for a knee injury picked up while playing in Scotland’s 40-10 defeat to Ireland last weekend.
However, an MRI scan has revealed that de Klerk has suffered a muscle tear after picking up a groin injury against Zebre. The club said the tighthead prop has undergone surgery and could be unavailable for around six weeks.
Elsewhere, Euan Murray is still recovering from the head knock and nasal injury sustained playing for Scotland against Ireland last Saturday, while Sean Maitland, Gordon Reid, Duncan Weir and Jon Welsh could be back within the next few weeks.
