Andrew Sheridan joined England’s already extensive injury list when he too was ruled out of the entire November Test programme with a shoulder injury on Monday.
The Rugby Football Union, England’s national governing body, announced here on Monday that Sheridan would be out for four months — an absence which threatens his partcipation in next season’s Six Nations.
Sheridan suffered the setback when a scrum collapsed during Sale’s European Cup victory over Cardiff on Friday and required oxygen treatment.
Sale director of rugby Kingsley Jones said: ”Andrew is a great presence around our team and he will be missed.
”It’s bad news for Andrew, England and Sale Sharks and we just have to come to terms with it.”
England open their Six Nations campaign against Wales on February 6. If initial medical assesments are correct, Sheridan will unlikely to be available for international action until England’s third match, against Ireland on February 27, at the earliest.
Now his absence means England will be without two of their leading props for the Twickenham Tests against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand in November after Bath’s Lee Mears sustained a knee ligament injury in the European Cup.
Sheridan’s injury took the number of England players manager Martin Johnson will definitely have to do without next month to 11, including Danny Cipriani (fractured fibia), Toby Flood (knee), Simon Shaw (toe), Delon Armitage (shoulder) and Riki Flutey (shoulder).
The 29-year-old Sheridan has won 32 caps, playing in 21 of England’s last 28 Tests. He also made two Test appearances for the British and Irish Lions during this year’s tour of South Africa. — AFP
