The Saints has issued the following update regarding players who sustained injuries either towards the end of the 2015/16 season or in the summer tours.
Courtney Lawes (ankle), Tom Wood (neck), Ethan Waller (toe) and Tom Stephenson (foot) have all undergone surgery during the summer and are expected to be fit in time for the start of the Aviva Premiership campaign.
George North (hamstring) should also be available for selection ahead of the Saints’ opening game against Bath, having undergone rehabilitation with the club’s medical team after leaving Wales’s summer tour of New Zealand.
However, two other first players are not expected to be back in black, green and gold in time for the opening matches of 2016/17.
Jamie Elliott has sustained a shoulder injury in pre-season training which has needed surgery, meaning that the winger will miss the opening few weeks. Meanwhile Rory Hutchinson’s World Rugby Under-20 Championships campaign was cut short by a significant ankle injury sustained in Scotland’s win over Australia which also required surgery and a late start to the season.
Finally, Calum Clark continues with his rehabilitation from a complex shoulder injury. The England flanker is training with the squad and progressing well, but no immediate date has been set for a return to the field of play.
“Matt Lee and our medical team have been very busy this summer and to have so many players expected to be fit reflects the hard work that’s been put in behind the scenes,” said director of rugby Jim Mallinder. “The players themselves have been positive and their attitude has been excellent.”
