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Rugby Union

Barkley to have surgery on fractured wrist

01/07/2008

Gloucester and England centre Olly Barkley will be out for up to eight weeks after it was revealed he needs surgery on his left wrist.

The utility back, who is equally comfortable as a fly-half, fractured the joint in the second Test against New Zealand last month.

And as a result he will attend a hospital in Cheltenham on Friday in order to have an operation on his left scaphoid.

The procedure is expected to keep him out of action for a minimum of six weeks, but Gloucester head coach Dean Ryan is confident Barkely - who only recently joined the club from Guinness Premiership rivals Bath - will be fit for the start of the 2008/09 season.

"Olly requires this surgery now to give him the best possible chance of being fit for the start of the 2008/09 Guinness Premiership season," Ryan explained.

"He is a tremendous talent and a great asset for the club so we need to get the injury cleared up as soon as possible."

Barkley was part of the England team comprehensively beaten by the All Blacks in both summer Tests in June.

However, he has been retained in the 32-man elite squad announced today as part of new team manager Martin Johnson's first selection since his appointment as Brian Ashton's successor.