Billy Vunipola set to miss start of new season for Saracens
Billy Vunipola suffered an arm injury during the June series against South Africa
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England international Billy Vunipola will miss the start of the Gallagher Premiership season for Saracens after failing to make sufficient recovery from an arm fracture that he sustained during the June series in South Africa.
The 25-year-old suffered the blow during the second game of the series in Bloemfontein where he was forced off the field before the half-time and headed to London for further consultation on the injury thereby missing the third Test.
Vunipola had a tough 2017/18 season where he suffered two arm fractures, knee and shoulder injuries that restricted his participation for Saracens to just seven games.
Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall stated that it was initially expected Vunipola will return for the start of the season but now has been given further time to complete his full recovery.
“It was a very straightforward break, so he could come back from that break probably game two or game three. Probably not game one, not definitely not, but probably not,” McCall told the Independent.
“But he’s running and doing everything he needs to do so he’s fine. There’s normally six to eight weeks and he’s forward a week, but we’re not going to rush him back. But it’s fine, he’s good.
“Billy’s good, he’s really, really good. He obviously got to play a few games in the summer which was good, he played the final. Fingers crossed that this year he’s going to be OK but that’s just a broken arm and one of those things.”
Saracens will begin the new season with a Gallagher Premiership clash against Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park on 2nd September.
