Newcastle medical update includes mixed news on Lions players

Alan Dickens believes that the three-week break after their final PREM Cup game against Harlequins this weekend will give Newcastle Red Bulls time to clear some of their massive injury list.

Newcastle travel to South-West London looking to complete a cup double over their fellow strugglers after winning 26-14 at Kingston Park in September, and to avenge the 52-14 mauling they suffered in the league a month later.

Dickens is set to be without 21 players for the trip, but he is hopeful that the number will be significantly reduced by the time they return to Gallagher PREM action against Northampton Saints on March 21st.

And he hopes they will be back to nearly full health for La Rochelle’s visit to Tyneside in the Challenge Cup on April 4.

“We certainly needed to rest and regenerate players who have had a high number of minutes after that last intense block in the PREM and European competition,” said Dickens.

“For us, with the size of the squad, the break after this week will help us a little bit with getting players back to fitness. There will be some back by the Saints game.

“And as we get into the fixtures, more will return to the training pitch and into the matchday squad. La Rochelle is five or six weeks away, and we want as many players back as possible, in full bill of health.”

Dickens hopes one of the big-name players he will get back within the next month is Christian Wade, who hasn’t played since the defeat to Saracens on January 30.

Another of their star turns, Liam Williams, is still struggling with the knee injury that has restricted him to three games for the club.

“Christian injured his ankle, but again, he’s on the road to recovery and hopefully back within the next month. Liam’s kind of going through a process, and he’s been training and has had a reaction, which was probably one step forward, two back, and he’s still on that kind of recovery process.

“Look, he’s brilliant to have around the group. Yes, he’s been injured. Yes, he’s with the physios and S&C staff a lot. But with his experience and knowledge, he’s in and around the young players and presenting in meetings. So he’s active within the squad, and hopefully we’ll see him back out there,” he added.