In a setback for Harlequins, rugby prop Joe Marler is set to miss the upcoming Champions Cup clash against Cardiff due to an ongoing assessment of his arm injury.
This adds to the growing front-row concerns for England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick, just ahead of the highly anticipated Guinness Six Nations tournament.
The absence of Marler compounds the challenges for Borthwick, who is already dealing with the unavailability of other key loosehead props such as Ellis Genge, Bevan Rodd, Mako Vunipola, and Val Rapava-Ruskin, all currently sidelined.
Quins boss Danny Wilson said: “There is still a little bit of assessment going on.
The collective injury woes in the front row pose a significant challenge for England’s preparations as they gear up for the upcoming rugby battles in the Six Nations.
“Joe is a week-by-week process at the moment to make a full assessment of the time period and the time-frame.
“He is not going to play this weekend – that is pretty clear – but what I can’t give is a time-frame. There have been a few twists and turns with it.
“We are kind of in the middle of a full assessment.
“I know that is going to sound a little bit like it is taking a while to assess, but there is a little bit to this one so I am probably not really going to be able to give you much.
“Until we get a full picture and a full time-frame, and we are in that process at the moment, then I can’t really tell you a huge amount.”
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Saracens list of Owen Farrell replacements:
#1. Joey Carbery
Munster has officially revealed that 28-year-old Joey Carbery will bid farewell to the province at the conclusion of the season. The Reds are actively on the hunt for a high-caliber replacement at the out-half position to complement Jack Crowley in the upcoming term.
Rumors linking Carbery to a summer transfer to French club Bordeaux Begles had surfaced before Christmas, where the attacking game is steered by former Munster coach Noel McNamara.
Having been an integral part of Munster for nearly six years, Carbery, who also boasts an established international career with Ireland, is poised to make a significant impact with his potential move. The Men in Black could potentially secure a valuable addition in Carbery for the future.
