Injured Hibbard faces delayed start
Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:49
Ospreys' Welsh hooker Richard Hibbard has undergone surgery on a niggling right shoulder injury and will miss the first few weeks of the European season.
The franchise confirmed that the 24-year-old Hibbard suffered an impact to his right shoulder whilst on international duty in South Africa in June.
Although he returned to pre-season training as normal, he began to experience some pain in the shoulder and the decision was made to deal with the problem immediately to ensure that the player could make a full recovery and play as big a part in the 2008/09 campaign as possible.
Ospreys physio Chris Towers said the hooker underwent an arthroscopic procedure to "remove a loose piece of cartilage" floating in his right shoulder.
"The early signs are excellent and the shoulder is settling well," Towers said.
"It's too early to predict an exact date for when we can expect Richard on the field, but he will miss the start of the season.
"However, this is a relatively minor procedure so he won't be sidelined for too long. We'll assess his situation closely and will be in a better position to predict his return in a couple of weeks."
The Ospreys' Magners League season begins against Connacht on September 5, while Wales' first international is against South Africa on November 8.
