England and Lions prop Phil Vickery will miss the next two rounds of Heineken Cup action because of an eye injury that requires surgery.
Gloucester are due to meet Cardiff Blues in back-to-back matches in Rounds 3 and 4, starting with their clash at Kingsholm on Saturday, 4 December, and the 28-year-old Vickery will miss the action following an injury picked up during the home clash with reigning Heineken Cup champions London Wasps in the Zurich Premiership.
Vickery took a big blow to the head in that game and suffered a blow-out fracture around the eye area. The injury requires surgery and the specialists have ruled the tight-head prop out for six weeks. It is a huge blow to both Gloucester and the player, who had just returned to full fitness after taking six months to recover from back surgery in May.
Having eased his way back into action with two replacement appearances in the Zurich Premiership he packed down in the opening two rounds of the Pool 6 action as Gloucester lost at Stade Francais Paris and thumped Ulster at home.
It is the second major front row blow Gloucester have received following the news that their French international hooker Olivier Azam is to undergo surgery on his shoulder and will be out of action for three months. That means the cherry and whites will be without him for the remainder of their Pool 6 matches in Europe.
Azam injured his labrum in his shoulder joint and will have it surgically repaired on Monday. The 30 year-old front row man has seen a specialist in the UK and this week travelled to France for another appointment with the medical experts.
Commenting on
www.gloucesterrugbyclub.com the Club's physio Nick Allen said: "Olivier will have the operation in France as they were able to schedule him in for Monday of next week, which was a little quicker than over here. We are expecting him to be unavailable for about three months."
Before his injury Azam was competing with the impressive Chris Fortey for the starting number two shirt. The 29-year-old Fortey has been in good form in recent weeks, picking up the Heineken 'Man of the Match' award against Ulster in Round 2. Former Saracens hooker James Parkes is the club's third registered hooker for the Heineken Cup.
At least there is some encoruaging front row news at the club with prop Terry Sigley likely to return to rehabilitation next week after suffering a moderate disc protrusion in his neck.
