Henson sidelined for season run-in

Gavin Henson is likely to miss Wales' forthcoming two-match tour of South Africa after failing to respond to treatment for an ankle ligament injury.

Gavin Henson is likely to miss Wales' forthcoming two-match tour of South Africa after failing to respond to treatment for an ankle injury.

The news was broken after the Osprey was seen by a specialist on Wednesday after failing to respond to treatment for a ligament problem that he picked up during the Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat at Saracens earlier this month.

The 26-year-old centre will undergo immediate keyhole surgery to allow medics to see the full extent of the damage, and he is facing a lay-off ranging from four to six weeks.

“Gavin's injury hasn't responded to treatment as anticipated so he was routinely reviewed by an ankle specialist,” said Ospreys physio Chris Towers.

“In light of the ligament damage involved the specialist felt that it was advisable at this stage to examine the potential for any instability of the joint and in this instance, the only way to achieve this is to perform an arthroscopy and screen the ankle in theatre.

“The best case scenario will see Gavin sidelined for a further four to six weeks, with no further action needing to be taken.

“However, if the examination reveals clinical instability then the plan will be to repair the ligament at that time, which would be likely to sideline Gavin for approximately twelve weeks.

“It is impossible to say what the outcome will be until the specialist has had a chance to assess the ankle fully, so it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this moment.”

Head Coach Lyn Jones was obviously disappointed with the news as he has been pleased with Henson's club and country performances this term.

“The news comes as a blow for the Ospreys as we look to finish the season in winning style, and personally for Gavin, who has been in such good form this year,” Jones added.

“Hopefully, Wednesday's investigation will bring him good news and he can be back up and about within just a few weeks.”