Aviva Premiership
Cole to have surgery on neck injury
ESPN Staff
May 23, 2014
Dan Cole missed the final four months of the season for Leicester © Getty Images
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Leicester prop Dan Cole could be out until November after being told he will need surgery on a neck problem which has dogged him for months.

Cole missed the final four months of the season after a problem flared up in training with England. Leicester had hoped a prolonged rest would help him make a full recovery, but now the Leicester Mercury reports that Cole will require surgery on a bulging disc that is trapping a nerve in his neck.

Cole is due to have the operation early next week and could take up to six months to recover. That would rule him out of the start of the new Aviva Premiership season and even England's autumn internationals.

Leicester have Fraser Balmain and Logovi'i Mulipola to fill the tight-head role in Cole's absence, but news of injury to yet another key player will come as a blow to England head coach Stuart Lancaster. Bath fly-half George Ford was ruled out of the summer tour to New Zealand after being told he needed shoulder surgery and full-back Mike Brown is racing to recover from hip injury in time for the first Test on June 7.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd

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