Scarlets dealt Gardner blow

Wales Under 20s product Simon Gardner faces a spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury in the Scarlets' European loss to Leicester.

The news comes just as Rhys Thomas is set to make his return after recovering from a fractured leg.

For the past two months the Welsh region have been dealing with a front-row crisis. First they lost Thomas and then at the beginning of December, Deacon Manu and Peter Edwards both suffered fracture arms in the same European game.

That left the Scarlets without a tight-head and they were forced to pluck Gardner out of the academy.

The youngster has done a sterling job for Nigel Davies' men and has made five appearances in the Magners League.
But just as Thomas returns to fitness, Gardner is set to fill his place on the casualty list.

"It's tough to give a clear diagnosis on Simon at the moment," said Scarlets head coach Nigel Davies.

"It's a knee injury, we don't think it's medial ligaments. We've got him home, he'll have a scan and we will go from there."