By JOHN FALLON

CONNACHT’S worst fears have been realised with lock Gavin Thornbury set to be ruled out until the start of next season after picking up a serious knee injury in the Challenge Cup win in Brive two weeks ago.

It’s the latest major injury setback for the former Irish U20 who was capped for Ireland ‘A’ last month and was in Andy Farrell’s extended squad for the autumn internationals.

The 29-year-old underwent surgery for a knee tendon injury on the Tuesday before Christmas and Connacht director of rugby Andy Friend doesn’t expect him to return before he departs the Sportsground next summer.

“There’s been unlucky and there’s been unlucky, and poor Gav has been so unlucky with injuries that he has had,” said Friend.

“On the other side of that is you have a man who has shown enormous resilience, fortitude, strength of character, all of those things and how he continues to keep coming back from these pretty horrific injuries is a real compliment to him.

“But here he is again, he is faced with that and we will see what happens. Gav had surgery on Tuesday, we won’t see him until the new year. It’s rest and recovery at the minute and we will get a better picture when we will get him back but it probably won’t be for this season unfortunately.”

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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