England
Mallinder: Corbisiero's knee issues are over
ESPN Staff
August 31, 2014
Alex Corbisiero is ready to go according to Jim Mallinder © Getty Images
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Northampton boss Jim Mallinder is confident loose-head Alex Corbisiero is ready to play a full season at the Saints having missed much of last term through injury.

Corbisiero has endured two seasons blighted by injuries to both is knees but he returned in time to help the Saints lift their maiden Aviva Premiership title. For Mallinder, Corbisiero is "like a new signing" at Northampton and he is relishing seeing the prop feature heavily for the champions this term.

"Alex has had injuries on both knees which has been a little bit disappointing for him and very frustrating," said Mallinder. "He's got those fixed now and he's had a proper pre-season. "There's no long-term or underlying issue - he had two separate injuries, one on either knee, and now all that is in the past."

Corbisiero sat out England's three-Test tour of New Zealand to rest ahead of this season and Mallinder was pleased with that call. He added: "I think it was the right decision for him not to go away with England. It was made quite a long way out that he wasn't going to do that. He had a good break, went over to America to see family, came back and has got himself in great shape.

"So hopefully he'll have a good year for Northampton and England as well. I'm really looking forward to Alex being back. He missed a big part of the middle of last season, he started it and finished it but he didn't play many games in the middle due to injury. He's a bit like a new signing for us."

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