England lock Ed Slater is set to miss the rest of the English Premiership season with a “horrific” season-ending knee injury that could leave him struggling to gain a place in the squad for next year’s World Cup.
The Leicester captain is expected to miss the entire 2014/15 campaign after undergoing knee surgery, according to Tigers coach Richard Cockerill.
The 26-year-old tore his anterior cruciate ligament while captaining England’s midweek side to a 38-7 win over the Crusaders during the tour of New Zealand in June.
Slater could regain full fitness just six weeks before England launch their bid for World Cup glory on home soil, by hosting Fiji at Twickenham on September 18, 2015.
“It’s horrific for Ed in many ways,” Cockerill said Tuesday. “He has been in the England squad and just taken on the captaincy here at the club.
“He will come back better and fresher than ever, whenever that may be. As ever, we will stick by him.
“It’s a critical year for us and for him with the World Cup coming up, and the likelihood is that he is not going to play a game between now and pre-season next year,” he added.
“He will probably spend the next 12 weeks off his feet and it will be a long way back.
“He has had his ACL reconstructed and he will be pretty much out for the season.”
Slater’s absence at Welford Road will be countered by the pre-season arrival of 39-year-old World Cup-winning former All Black Brad Thorn.