Mullan out for three month spell
Worcester and England's Matt Mullan has been ruled out for three months after suffering an injury in training.
Mullan flew into a challenge during a Worcester training session and immediately went down to the floor holding his shoulder. It quickly became apparent that his right shoulder had popped out of the socket and the amount of pain he was in made it clear he was seriously hurt.
It will be a huge blow to Worcester who are now playing their rugby in the Championship and hoping to push for promotion back to the Premiership at the very first time of trying.
Mullan was a key player in the side and an injury this late in pre-season is going to have a negative impact on many areas of the team and club. However, someone will know have to step up to the plate and take full advantage of the chance they will now get.
Negative Blow
This is a negative blow for Worcester due to many reasons. Mullan was a big player in the team and he had the ability to hold the defence together under extreme pressure.
He was one of the bigger players in the side and this meant he was suited to taking down the bigger players from opposition teams. It also allowed him to get stuck in with the packs and scrums in order to push high up the field and gain territory.
He's also a leader on the field and the injury will mean that his vocal presence will be missed. There are going to be some very difficult games in the Championship and it was important for the side to keep all of their key leaders fit and healthy.
Head coach Richard Hill said: "We are bitterly disappointed for Matt after he was injured in what was a freak accident during training. The injury was not to the shoulder that ruled him out towards the end of last season, and we had hoped it would not require surgical intervention."
Have to cope
The side are simply going to have to cope. They have a number of players that can come in and play in the hooker position but none of them will have the same sort of experience that Mullan enjoys.
Hill is going to have to rely on a player consistently raising his game against the better sides. The player he does pick to come in should not find this too difficult because they have now been presented with a chance that they may not have thought they were going to get this season.
It could be a lot longer than three months before Mullan is back in the side. The player who replaces him may play so well that they remove Mullan as one of the first choice players at the club.
Hill added: "It is a double blow, as I had talked to Matt about the vice-captaincy, but clearly he will now miss the early part of the season which is a crucial time for the team to get up and running."
Betting advice
Worcester remain a very good bet to win the Championship even in the face of this news. This is because they have a lot of players with Premiership experience who will find life in the Championship a little easier to cope with.
This should ensure that the side cope without one or two of their big stars if needed over the course of the season. If you still want to back Worcester then do so and don't worry if you already have because they will stay a strong unit.
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