Wales and British & Irish Lions skipper Sam Warburton began training this week but Cardiff Blues head coach Danny Wilson did confirm that he won’t rush the flanker back onto the field too soon.
Wilson suffered a double blow last weekend when he lost openside Ellis Jenkins for two months and then saw his side lose at home to Edinburgh in their opening game of the Guinness PRO14 campaign.
Jenkins was forced to undergo surgery on his hamstring at the weekend after picking up an injury in the pre-season win over English champions Exeter Chiefs. That forced Wilson to switch Josh Navidi into emergency service in the No 7 jersey.
But while Wilson will be delighted to have Warburton, the man who led the Lions to a drawn series in New Zealand in the summer, back in the fold this week he knows he won’t be able to take him to Dublin to face Leinster this week.
“Ellis’ injury doesn’t change anything with Sam. The first thing is that Sam gets what Sam needs in terms of a pre-season recovery,” said Wilson.
“If that means we are short, we are short. He will be back three or four games into the season. He was back in training on Monday and we have to make sure we bring him back in slowly, but surely and not rush things. The big picture is him recovering from the Lions and getting ready for the Autumn internationals.”
As well as Jenkins, the Blues have also lost Wales U20 openside Jim Botham to an ankle injury picked up playing for Cardiff in the Principality Premiership.
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