Eddie Jones has been dealt a major blow to his Six Nations preparations after it was revealed Billy Vunipola will be out for four months through a serious knee injury.
The 24-year-old had been on the road to recovery having been selected in England’s 33-man training camp this week but was helped off during Saracens clash against Sale Sharks last weekend.
He has now undergone surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee and will definitely be out of the autumn internationals.
The next target for Vunipola, who has been 34 times for his country, is making the 2018 Six Nations.
It’s a familiar story for Vunipola, who missed almost the entire 2017 Six Nations with a previous knee injury, with England’s final game against Ireland in Dublin his only start, while he also missed the Lions Tour of New Zealand through injury.
Director of rugby for Saracens, Mark McCall, described the loss as a devastating blow for both club and country. “For any team to lose a player of the ability of Billy is a blow and he will be missed through the autumn for both Saracens and England,” McCall said.
“It’s desperately disappointing for him, considering how hard he has worked during the off-season to get back to full fitness, but Billy is a resilient character and he’ll have a strong support network around him to get him back on the field in the best possible shape. What’s now important for Billy is his recovery and we look forward to his return later this season.”
Harlequins’ Jack Clifford has been called up to replace Vunipola for the training camp in Oxford.
