Huw Jones injury update is bad news for Glasgow Warriors and potentially Scotland

Huw Jones, the Glasgow Warriors centre, has suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury and is unlikely to be fit for another six to seven weeks.

He will miss the first block of United Rugby Championship fixtures and it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to play in Scotland’s autumn Test programme which begins on October 29 with Australia’s visit to Murrayfield and continues over the following three weekends against Fiji, New Zealand and Argentina.

Jones, who rejoined Glasgow in the summer from Harlequins, aggravated a back problem in Quins’ Premiership semi-final loss to Saracens on June 11.

The injury caused him to miss Scotland’s summer tour to South America but it was hoped that he would recover in time for the start of the URC season, which kicked off on Friday with Glasgow losing to Benetton. Unfortunately for player and club, it is not healing as quickly as had been hoped and Glasgow coach Franco Smith will err on the side of caution.

“I think he’s six to seven weeks away, so he’s a long way off,” said Smith.

“We’re being very conservative around it. For now, it’s in the medical team’s hands. So, we just have to be patient. He hasn’t put his boots on yet.

“He’s a player we’ll need in the second part [of the season]. There’s no need for me to rush him. To rush him back for one or two games before the break in November is going to be mismanagement of the player.

Huw Jones aggravated a back injury while playing for Harlequins. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

“So, we’ll give him the right amount of time so that he can come back with the intent to perform and not just the intent to play.”

Smith has had to contend with a number of injury issues.

Allan Dell returned to training on Monday after illness and an ankle injury and Smith hopes the prop will be ready when the Warriors head to South Africa to play the Sharks and Lions in mid-October.

Others on the casualty list include Ross Thompson, Ollie Smith, Ally Miller (all back injuries), Jamie Dobie, Domingo Miotti (both hamstring), Enrique Pieretto (shoulder) and Rufus McLean (an unspecified niggle).

Thompson, the stand-off, is back training but Smith said he “can’t see him being back in the next three to four weeks”.