Lions sweat over Kinghorn injury ahead of Wallabies Test

The British and Irish Lions are facing a potential crisis in their back three as full-back Blair Kinghorn became the latest injury concern during their 36-24 win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra.

The Scotland international, widely tipped to start in the first Test against Australia on July 19, took a knock to the knee early in the game and was eventually forced off in visible frustration.

Kinghorn initially attempted to play on after the collision, but was seen limping and ultimately left the field in the 25th minute. He is now awaiting medical assessment to determine the extent of the damage.

“Blair is in good spirits. He got a bang on the knee, he carried on for quite a bit but there was no need to keep him going,” head coach Andy Farrell said after the game.

“He's on the bed now, singing away.

"There is a bit of music there and he's singing away as he's being assessed, so we'll see how he comes through that. It's late, we have got an early flight in the morning and I don't know what the medical plan is, but we will get on top of that.”

The timing could not be worse for the Lions, who have already lost Elliot Daly to a fractured forearm earlier in the tour. Daly’s injury forced the team to call in Owen Farrell as cover, leaving Kinghorn and Hugo Keenan as the only two specialist full-backs in the squad. Marcus Smith offers a makeshift option at the position but lacks consistent international experience there.

Elliot Daly, whose injury was confirmed as a fracture, has already exited the tour, further highlighting the growing pressure on the Lions' backline depth.