Armand injury blow for Chiefs

By Mark Stevens
28/9/2016

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has confirmed back-row star Don Armand could be sidelined for up to two months out after rupturing a knee ligament.

The 28-year-old forward sustained the injury early in the second half of Exeter’s recent Aviva Premiership victory at home to Harlequins.

Although Baxter (pictured) was unsure at the time of the severity of the injury to Armand, who last season toured South Africa with the England Saxons, subsequent scans have revealed the full extent of the problem.

The loss of Armand is an untimely blow for the Chiefs, who are already without fellow back-row forward Dave Ewers, who himself picked up a serious knee ligament injury during the pre-season friendly with Ulster Rugby at Sandy Park.

Ewers is already well advanced into his own rehabilitation programme, as is Phil Dollman who is also out with a broken hand, but both are still a number of weeks away from a competitive return to action.

Baxter said: “Don is going to be out for a little while. He has ruptured his PCL (posterior cruciate ligament). It doesn’t require an operation so that is something, but he is certainly going to be missing for a little while.

“It’s quite early at the moment, but we are probably looking at a couple of months out of action.”

Armand’s loss, however, is somewhat tempered with the news that England international Jack Nowell is now fully fit after surgery on a thumb injury and could well come into the mix for Friday’s league trip to Northampton Saints.

“We do have a few guys who are starting to come back into the picture,” added Baxter. “Jack is training full on now and is in contention to feature this week at Northampton.  Dave Ewers, Phil Dollman and Michele Campagnaro are all making good strides in terms of their own rehab programmes, so hopefully it’s not too long before we see those guys returning.”