Scotland dealt Alasdair Strokosch blow
Scotland coach Andy Robinson has yet to decide whether he will call up a replacement for the injured Scottish flanker Alasdair Strokosch.
The Gloucester forward is expected to be out for up to six weeks after he damaged knee ligaments in his team’s 33-26 victory over Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership.
The player will now miss all of Scotland’s Autumn Internationals against New Zealand, South Africa and Samoa.
Strokosch was supposed to join up with the 34 man panel at Saint Andrews next week, but instead, the player will start working on his recovery with Gloucester’s medical team.
The Scotland forward had been looking forward to winning his 18th cap for his country, after he impressed on Scotland’s tour of Argentina during the summer.
Scottish coach Robinson refused to rule out calling up a replacement for the injured Strokosch.
"We may yet draft another player into the squad for our training camp and we'll discuss that after the matches this weekend."
The coach has already lost a number of first team players for the Tests. Influential forward Johnnie Beattie will miss the internationals, as well as captain Alastair Kellock.
Kellock may be fit to take his place in Scotland’s final Test against Samoa on 27 November at Pittodrie.
Out-half Phil Godman is out with a long term injury, while wing Simon Danielli was injured during Ulster’s Heineken Cup match with Biarritz.
Nick de Luca and scrum-half Chris Cusiter will also be ruled out for the Test matches. All of the players would have expected to start the internationals, and Scotland will now field a weakened side against the southern hemisphere teams.
Scotland will face New Zealand in their first Test on 13 November, before South Africa visits on 20 November.
Robinson hopes that his side can produce the same form while on tour in Argentina. Scotland will go into the matches in buoyant mood, despite their growing injury list.
Tags: