Wales Medical Report: Issue 1

Wales have lost Gareth Cooper and are waiting on fitness tests to Ceri Sweeney, who is unlikely to recover from a groin injury in time, and Adam Jones as they prepare to face Scotland in the RBS Six Nations clash at Millennium Stadium on Sunday (3.00pm).

Dragons scrum-half Cooper dislocated his right shoulder and was withdrawn during the Welsh defeat to World Champions England on Saturday and after being ruled out of the rest of the campaign, is now unlikely to play rugby again this season.

Bath scrum-half Andy Williams has been called into the squad in place of Cooper and the injured scrum-half’s Dragons colleague Sweeney also looks unlikely to be available this weekend due to a groin injury he picked up early in the build up to the Championship opener.

Ospreys prop Jones suffered a dead leg and will undergo fitness tests this week to determine his availability for selection, with Saracens prop Ben Broster invited to train with the squad in case he is ruled out.

“Ceri (Sweeney) is currently resting his injury and will undergo a scan this evening to determine the full extent of the damage, but he is unlikely to return in time for the weekend’s fixture,” said Wales team physio Mark Davies. “Gareth (Cooper) will also have a scan this week, but experience tells us that surgery is probably necessary as a consequence of the dislocation suffered to his right shoulder. He has previously injured the same shoulder and the necessity for repair would imply that he won’t play again this season.

“There is more positive news for Gareth Thomas and Gareth Delve who are both on full training programmes this week and Adam (Jones) could return if his dead leg recovers in time.”

Thomas’s knee came through the Twickenham game with no reaction and Bath back row Delve, whose hamstring problem meant he was not quite ready to feature last weekend, is back in action. Ospreys back row Jonathan Thomas is also on the road to recovery (hamstring) and has targeted a return for his region against the Borders next week.

Currently unavailable due to suspension are Scarlets back row Dafydd Jones and Ospreys duo centre Gavin Henson and lock Ian Evans.