Ed Slater is likely to need an operation after injuring his finger about 10 minutes before Gloucester’s game against Northampton.
The full extent of the damage to Slater’s finger is not yet known but it is thought that he has torn a ligament in his finger.
“It was physically in the second last drill, it was about a minute before we had to go in and he pulled out his hand to stop the attacker and ripped his whole finger open,” said Ackermann.
“I don’t know what the extent of the injury is going to be, he’s probably going to need an operation but I phoned Jake Polledri who was sitting somewhere in the box or in the pavilion drinking – hopefully a beer or something – and the next moment he’s on the bench so it shows again how suddenly things can change and how the squad can adapt.
“It doesn’t help that our injury list keeps growing but there’s not much we can do.”
“It’s so pleasing how the team responded and stayed calm.”