Goneva out of Fiji Tests

Editor

Fiji will be without Leicester Tigers star back Vereniki Goneva for their Test matches in June against Italy, Samoa and Tonga.

Fiji will be without Leicester Tigers star back Vereniki Goneva for their Test matches in June against Italy, Samoa and Tonga.

The RPA's Players' Player of the Year is set for an operation on his knee after picking up the injury in Leicester's Premiership semi-final against Northampton.

The news comes as a blow for Fiji coach John McKee after Goneva's excellent performances this season.

Adding that one other unnamed player was also carrying a knock, McKee outlined the situation on Thursday.

“We probably got two injuries in the group that was named last week,” McKee told the Fiji Times.

“One we know is definitely Vereniki Goneva ruled out with a knee injury and I have heard of one other injury overnight and I'm waiting for confirmation from the club so we will be making announcements tomorrow about the replacements.”

In better news, McKee confirmed that Chiefs wing Asaeli Tikoirotuma and Crusaders wing Nemani Nadolo would both be available for the Tests, but not the match against the Cook Islands on June 28 as it falls outside the IRB release window.