Aviva Premiership
Sanderson to miss season opener
ESPNscrum Staff
August 17, 2011
Worcester flanker Pat Sanderson, Worcester v London Irish, Anglo-Welsh Cup, Sixways, Worcester, England, February 6, 2010
Worcester will hope they can cope without the influential Sanderson © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Richard Hill | Chris Pennell | Pat Sanderson
Tournaments/Tours: Aviva Premiership

Worcester Warriors openside Pat Sanderson will miss the start of the Aviva Premiership season due to a shoulder injury.

The flanker sustained the knock in his side's 44-15 Championship win over Bristol in March. And Warriors boss Richard Hill has confirmed the 16-cap former England back-row will sit out their opener against Sale on September 3.

"Unfortunately, Pat's progress is still slow at the moment," Hill told BBC Hereford and Worcester. "He has seen a specialist but we don't expect to see him for at least the next four to six weeks."

The Warriors have recruited former Cornish Pirates back-row Sam Betty ahead of the 2011-12 season and he will look to fill the void left by Sanderson. However, there was better news for Hill with the news that captain and fullback Chris Pennell looks set to return prior to the start of the season.

"Chris picked up a rib injury in pre-season so he wasn't available for the Melbourne Rebels game," he said."We are hoping that he will recover fairly quickly and he should be back in a week or two's time.

"I am sure he will have seen Erri [Claassen's] performance and he will raise his game again."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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