England forward Ben Earl ruled for up to eight weeks following knee op, but Saracens expect back-rower to be available for Six Nations
- Ben Earl was one of the star performers for England at the World Cup
- The forward was injured in warm-up before Saracens’ win over Harlequins
- Saracens centre Alex Lozowski suffered an ACL injury in Saturday’s game
Ben Earl will be out for six to eight weeks after undergoing knee surgery but should be back in action in time to feature for England in the 2024 Six Nations.
The Saracens back-row was one of the star performers for Steve Borthwick’s national side at the World Cup in France, helping his team to a surprise third-place finish.
Earl was injured in the warm-up of Saracens’ win over London rivals Harlequins on Saturday but his club are relieved his lay-off won’t be as bad as first feared.
Saracens have lost centre Alex Lozowski to a long period on the sidelines after he suffered an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury against Harlequins.
‘Ben had a minor knee procedure this morning. It was his medial meniscus,’ said Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall on Tuesday.
Ben Earl will also be out of action for up to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his knee
‘We anticipate he’ll be out for between six to eight weeks. I think overall it would be a good result. I think he will be playing in the month of January.
‘There are three or four games in the month of January so that would be ample time for Ben to get in (for the Six Nations).
‘He’s had a busy time with a lot of minutes in August, September and October, so to have a six-week period not playing rugby might actually be good for him in the long run.
‘Unfortunately, Alex had an ACL injury at the weekend and he’ll be out for a lot longer. Alex will have an operation next Wednesday. It’s a real shame for him but it’s better news on Ben.
Saracens back Elliot Daly is back in full training after pulling up before the Harlequins game
‘He (Lozowski) has been such a reliable good player for us since he arrived.
‘I can’t remember the last time he was injured to be honest. To get an injury is never easy.
‘As far as I know it’s as clean an ACL injury as you can get which can impact how quickly you come back.’
Another England and Saracens player in Elliot Daly is back in full training after he pulled out of the Harlequins game as a precaution.
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