Fresh Glasgow Warriors injury update on key duo as team prepares for Bath

Jack Dempsey is on course to make his return to rugby in one of Glasgow Warriors’ two pre-season matches this month but the games will come too soon for Zander Fagerson.

Dempsey, 31, has not played since completing the full 80 minutes for Scotland in the Six Nations win over Wales at Murrayfield on March 8.

The No 8 had been set to feature in the final match of the championship against France in Paris only to be ruled out with a hamstring injury. It was not thought to be too serious at the time but Dempsey ended up missing the rest of the season.

Jack Dempsey (L) and Zander Fagerson have both been sidelined by long-term injuries. | SNS Group

A cautious approach was taken because the player has suffered from hamstring issues in the past and he was not selected for Scotland’s summer tour to ensure he was given as much time as possible to recover.

No risks taken with Dempsey

He has been fully involved in Glasgow’s pre-season and is set to feature in the coming weeks. The Warriors will play English champions Bath at the Recreation Ground on Saturday before hosting Northampton Saints at Scotstoun the following Friday.

“Jack's been fully involved in rugby and is looking really sharp,” said Scott Forrest, Glasgow’s new assistant coach. “He's been fully involved through pre-season, and is probably someone that will be involved at some point in one of these pre-season games. He's trained really well and players of that calibre are the guys that we want to get back onto the pitch.”

Forrest, who will be in charge of Glasgow’s defence, taking over from Pete Murchie who left the club at the end of last season, believes it was the correct decision to give Dempsey an extended break.

Jack Dempsey has not played since completing the full 80 minutes for Scotland against Wales in the Guinness Six Nations on March 8. | SNS Group

“I'm not a medic but I do know that it was probably the best thing for him as an individual just to get that extra time, and I suppose all I'm seeing now is what he's like on the pitch, and he's training fully now,” said Forrest.

“Could he have gone for Scotland? I don't know, around the medical decisions there, but I know the best thing for him was just that he was given that extra time, and I think hopefully we're going to see the benefit of it come the start of the season.”

Prop ‘very much on track’

Forrest also gave an update on Fagerson who suffered a calf injury in training in April. The prop exacerbated the problem and ended up having to withdraw from the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia. Fagerson, 29, has not played since Glasgow’s 43-19 win over Leicester Tigers in the Champions Cup round of 16 tie at Scotsoun on April 5.

“Zander's not fully back into rugby,” said Forrest. “He's very much on track in terms of his return but he's not fully back in.”

Duncan Weir is also close to a return after undergoing surgery on a shoulder at the end of March. “He's probably got another week or two around all the return to play and contact protocols that he still needs to get through .So, he's still got a couple of boxes to tick, but again, he's on track,” added the coach.

The Glasgow players who toured with the Lions in Australia have been given an extended break and have not yet returned to training which means the Warriors are planning to send a relatively inexperienced squad to play Bath at the Rec, with the hosts also expected to field a youthful side.

“This weekend for Bath will be mainly the academy, the non-international boys, the guys that have been in since the start of pre-season,” said Forrest.