Harlequins wing Ugo Monye will have a scan on his damaged knee ligaments later today, the results of which could determine whether he is available for the World Cup.
Monye picked up the injury during Sunday’s defeat to the Barbarians at Twickenham, limping off in the second-half of a game that England went on to lose 38-32.
Initially it was feared that the injury was very serious, but England Saxons coach Stuart Lancaster has revealed that ‘it doesn’t look too bad’.
For the player, this injury will be extremely frustrating given the fact that he is fighting it out for a place in Martin Johnson’s World Cup squad. Any slight setback could be the difference of him making or not and he will be desperate for good news from the scan.
As things stand, wingers Chris Ashton and Mark Cueto are both virtually guaranteed a place in the squad, with Monye, David Strettle and James Simpson-Daniel also looking to make the cut.
Monye has been in excellent form though, so as long as the injury isn’t too bad, he has an excellent chance of making it.
Looking at the time scale of the injury, if it is just a minor strain, Monye could be on the sidelines for anything between two to ten weeks.
However, anything more serious than that could mean he misses out as Johnson is set to name his 30-man squad in 12 weeks. Basically, the scan later today is crucial for him.
Perhaps the form he has been in will stand him in good stead. Johnson is a fan of his and even if he is still sidelined come the squad announcement, as long as he is set to be fit for the start of the tournament, he could be given the nod.
As for the World Cup, England’s first game is on the 10th September against Argentina.
Many teams including those in a Canadian World Cup Jersey will be involved in the eagerly anticipated tournament though and Monye would love to be a part of it.