Edinburgh's lineup woes intensify as Duhan van der Merwe remains on the injury list, unable to shake off a persistent ankle issue. The dynamic winger is ruled out of the upcoming Investec Champions Cup last-16 blockbuster against Leinster in Dublin, marking his fourth consecutive missed game due to a setback picked up during the Six Nations clash with Wales. The anticipated return of van der Merwe will not materialize in time for Sunday’s critical match.
Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt had harbored hopes of van der Merwe's return for the high-stakes game, but those expectations have been dampened.
“I’m hoping [he will be fit] in the next two weeks,”
Everitt revealed.
“He had a flare-up on it – it’s something that happened in the Six Nations – and he’s just doing some extra rehab on that to strengthen the muscles around the ankle.”
As if the loss of van der Merwe wasn’t enough, Edinburgh's injury troubles pile up with the confirmation that captain Magnus Bradbury will also miss the upcoming game due to ankle ligament damage sustained against the Stormers in Cape Town. “Maggie’s got ligament damage,” confirmed Everitt. “He’s seeing a specialist on Thursday but he’s not available this weekend. He was able to finish the game so we’re hoping it’s not too serious. But it is a blow because he’s a good leader… So we will miss Maggie this weekend.”
The absence of key players like van der Merwe and Bradbury heaps additional pressure on Edinburgh as they face a formidable challenge in Dublin. With the stakes sky-high, the loss of their influential winger and captain only magnifies the uphill battle ahead in the Champions Cup. As the team heads into one of their toughest fixtures of the season, the resilience and depth of the squad will be sternly tested.
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Edinburgh's lineup woes intensify as Duhan van der Merwe remains on the injury list, unable to shake off a persistent ankle issue. The dynamic winger is ruled out of the upcoming Investec Champions Cup last-16 blockbuster against Leinster in Dublin, marking his fourth consecutive missed game due to a setback picked up during the Six Nations clash with Wales. The anticipated return of van der Merwe will not materialize in time for Sunday’s critical match.
Edinburgh coach Sean Everitt had harbored hopes of van der Merwe's return for the high-stakes game, but those expectations have been dampened.
“I’m hoping [he will be fit] in the next two weeks,”
Everitt revealed.“He had a flare-up on it – it’s something that happened in the Six Nations – and he’s just doing some extra rehab on that to strengthen the muscles around the ankle.”
As if the loss of van der Merwe wasn’t enough, Edinburgh's injury troubles pile up with the confirmation that captain Magnus Bradbury will also miss the upcoming game due to ankle ligament damage sustained against the Stormers in Cape Town. “Maggie’s got ligament damage,” confirmed Everitt. “He’s seeing a specialist on Thursday but he’s not available this weekend. He was able to finish the game so we’re hoping it’s not too serious. But it is a blow because he’s a good leader… So we will miss Maggie this weekend.”
The absence of key players like van der Merwe and Bradbury heaps additional pressure on Edinburgh as they face a formidable challenge in Dublin. With the stakes sky-high, the loss of their influential winger and captain only magnifies the uphill battle ahead in the Champions Cup. As the team heads into one of their toughest fixtures of the season, the resilience and depth of the squad will be sternly tested.