Magners League
Blair no nearer to Blues comeback
ESPNscrum Staff
January 11, 2011
Cardiff Blues' Ben Blair in action during the Heineken Cup match with Biarritz Olympique at Parc des Sports Aguilera in Biarritz, France on December 13, 2008.
Ben Blair has been a big loss for Cardiff Blues © Getty Images
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Cardiff Blues are facing up to further time without the influential Ben Blair due to a persistent knee injury.

The former All Black fullback has been out of action since October with a bone problem in his left knee and head coach Dai Young has confirmed that he is 'no closer' to a comeback.

"Ben is still no closer," he told The South Wales Echo. "He is looking at a second opinion. He is getting just as frustrated as everyone else.

"He's still having a hell of a lot of pain with that knee and it doesn't seem to be getting much better with him at the minute."

In the absence of Blair the Blues have turned to Chris Czekaj in the No.15 jersey and the versatile Wales international looks set to continue in the role for the foreseeable future.

"The surgeons have looked at it and they don't feel there's anything surgically they can do. It's just something that has got to recover with rest," Young said. "It's certainly not happening as quick as Ben would like and obviously it's starting to get a bit of a concern because he has been out for a while.

"The medical people have done all the tests and there is a bit of a loose bone in there which is causing irritation. But they don't want to go inside and sort that out because they feel it will cause more irritation. They have injected him a couple of times in the hope that would settle it down.

"But we are at the stage now where Ben is getting really frustrated because the pain isn't going away and he's not in a position where he can run and start training on it."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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