Warriors hope to have Hogg back in contention for Saracens encounter

Glasgow Warriors assistant coach Kenny Murray says that Stuart Hogg is targeting a comeback from injury in the team’s European Champions Cup quarter-final clash against Saracens a week on Saturday.

The talismanic full-back, who injured his shoulder playing for Scotland against Ireland during the Six Nations, has returned to training but is not expected to be in the mix for this coming Saturday night’s Guinness Pro14 clash against Toyota Cheetahs at Scotstoun.

“He has not done a lot of contact, so he will build that up this week going into next week,” said Murray.

“He’s not likely to be available for this week against the Cheetahs, but we are definitely not ruling him out of the Saracens game next week.

“We’ll just see how he progresses towards the end of this week and in contact next week.

“He is his usual buzzing self,” Murray added. “He’s out there ready to go. In terms of his movement he is fine, we just need to make sure that contact-wise he is ready to go.

“But he’s full of confidence that he is ready to go in the next ten days or so.

“You know what he is like, he wants to play rugby but ultimately we don’t want to take risks.

“He is an important player for us, but Ruaridh Jackson has done really well for us [while Hogg has been unavailable] – we have collected 19 out of 20 points during the Six Nations window and Jacko has played every minute in those four games – so he is a real quality stand-in for us.

“But Hoggy, being the world-class player he is, you would want to get him back on that paddock as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, there was mixed news on Warriors’ other injured players.

“Callum Gibbins is training fully, doing full contact and full running, so he is in contention for this weekend,” said Murray.

“Huw Jones is probably going to be another few weeks, he is not back running yet, so I would say it is likely to be more around the Ulster or Leinster time [at the start of April] that he will be available.

“Ryan Wilson is not likely to be available in the next week or so but definitely looking to get back before the end of the season,” added Murray.

“George Horne had a wee shoulder knock which is why he was not in training

0 Stuart Hogg: Comeback.

as much with Scotland, and we are going to see howitis.

“We don’t think it is anything major, just a wee tweak that we can manage a bit. So, he is doubtful this week, but I would hope he will be in contention for Saracens.”

Murray added that a number of Scotland squad members are in contention to play against the Cheetahs.

“Some are getting a week off, the guys who had a lot of game time during the Six Nations, such as Sam Johnson, Nick Grigg and so on,” he said.

“But all the guys out there [training on Tuesday] – Pete Horne, Rob Harley,adamhastings–are in contention for this week.”