Shanklin was injured in a tackle late in the game
Dai Young is confident that his Cardiff Blues star Tom Shanklin will be fit for this summer's Lions tour after he suffered a dislocated shoulder.
The Wales centre fell awkwardly after a tackle by Dragons full-back Jason Tovey in the Blues' 26-12 Magners League win at the Arms Park on Wednesday.
"We are all keeping our fingers crossed that the injury is nowhere as near bad as it looks," said Blues coach Young.
"We're quite confident that it won't be a problem and he'll be on that plane."
Ian McGeechan named Shanklin as one of six Blues players in his Lions squad to face world champions South Africa on their three-Test tour this summer.
But head coach McGeechan has already suffered an injury blow as Ireland scrum-half Tomas O'Leary has been ruled out of the tour due to a broken ankle.
Now the Lions are waiting to hear the full extent of Shanklin's injury as the 29-year-old was taken immediately to hospital after being forced off with his right shoulder in a sling following the 74th minute incident.
 |
Once we have qualified for the Heineken Cup I won't be putting my Lions up for Blues selection
Cardiff Blues coach Dai Young
|
"Only time will tell how bad the injury is," admitted Young.
"The medics have taken him to hospital for a scan but we are hopeful and we we will do everything we can to make sure he is on that plane.
"He has a bit of time. Hopefully a long-term injury does not mar an otherwise outstanding performance by Tom as he was our man-of-the-match by a country mile."
Shanklin scored in the Blues win but has little over three weeks to recover before the Lions' first tour game against Highveld XV on 30 May. The Lions' first Test, however, is six weeks away on 20 June in Durban.
The double-Grand Slam winner was selected for the Lions' 2005 tour to New Zealand but he suffered injury heartbreak early in the trip.
Shanklin won a 2009 Lions call following a superb Six Nations that he only played regularly in due to injury to Gavin Henson as Wales coach Warren Gatland wanted to play his first choice centre partnership of Henson and Jamie Roberts.
The experienced 63-cap Welshman has also been integral part of a hugely successful season for the Blues as Young's men won the EDF Energy Cup crown and reached the Heineken Cup semi-final.
The Blues boast five other 2009 Lions tourists as wing Leigh Halfpenny, centre Jamie Roberts, prop Gethin Jenkins and back-rowers Andy Powell and Martyn Williams have won a call to play the Springboks.
|
606: DEBATE
stevelee99
|
And Young promised his Lions that he would rest them from regional duty once they have qualified for next season's Heineken Cup.
The bottom-placed Welsh team in the Magners League will have to play an Italian team in a Heineken Cup play-off to guarantee a route into Europe next season.
Young hopes a home win against newly-crowned Magners League champions Munster on Sunday will ensure they will not need a play-off to qualify for Europe.
He said: "As far as I'm concerned once we have qualified for the Heineken Cup I won't be putting my Lions up for Blues selection and that's important because they have done a great job for us.
"I'm extremely proud of the them and we will look after them to get them on that plane.
"But, at the moment, we still have a job to do and they are 100% behind us as we need to make sure we qualify for Europe next season.
No comments:
Post a Comment