Wales told to prepare for the worst as Dan could miss Six Nations
WALES have been told to brace themselves for the possibility that Dan Lydiate could be sidelined for the entire Six Nations.
The Ospreys flanker suffered a bicep injury during his team’s 22-9 win over the Dragons on New Year’s Eve.
The former league champions are resigned to being without Lydiate for their key Champions Cup pool encounters with Saracens and Clermont Auvergne later this month.
But defence coach Brad Davis acknowledged that the lay-off for the 30-year-old flanker could be a lot longer, saying he had seen players with bicep problems require 16 weeks or more out of the game.
Asked if there was a possibility Lydiate could miss the Six Nations, he replied: “It’s too early to tell, but there is a risk there, yes.
“I know players before who have had bicep tears and have had operations and been out for 12 to 16 weeks, possibly longer.
“It really depends on the extent of the injury.
“The best-case scenario is six to eight weeks.
“The worst case is they have to operate.
“We’ll know a lot more about that once he has a scan and the medics can plan the way forward.
“It’s absolutely gutting for Dan.
“Since he’s come back into the team he’s been a rock in the back row. He gives you that physicality that you need, especially without the ball.
“So he’s definitely going to be a loss for us.
“It’s tough for him as a player and it’s tough for us as a team. “It’s not looking great.” Lions Test man Lydiate had been returning to his very best, stiffening the Ospreys’ resolve and helping them win three out of their last four games.
He bolstered their physicality and the games against NorthSaints, ampton home and away, and the Scarlets saw him put in 39 tackles.
“Dan’s been outstanding,” said Davis.
“He’s worked hard on his game and has given us impetus without the ball in terms of his shot-making and his physicality. He is definitely a weapon I’d rather have in the team rather than out of it.
“We are lucky enough with our back-row stocks in that we have Rob McCusker who can step in, plus Guy Mercer and Will Jones, who did well out in Munster.
“But you look at the quality you are losing there (in Lydiate).
“Especially defensively, Dan is going to be missed.”
Lydiate has been hit by a number of serious injuries during his career, including a broken neck in 2007, shoulder and ankle problems sustained playing for Wales against England in 2016 and an anterior cruciate ligament setback later that year which cost him more than 10 months on the sidelines.
Every time, he has returned to the game with his appetite for battle undiminished.
But undoubtedly he will leave a void at the Ospreys over the coming months.
“He had been just starting to get into the flow of things as a player,” said Davis. “Hopefully, this won’t prove as serious as it could be.
“But it’s gutting for him as a player.”