Edinburgh, Scotland rocked by double Six Nations injury blow
INJURY UPDATE Edinburgh and Scotland have been dealt a major blow with lock Marshall Sykes ruled out for up to 12 weeks, sidelining him for the rest of Edinburgh’s Champions Cup pool stage and a large chunk of the Six Nations.
The 25-year-old was forced off with an arm injury in last weekend’s 33–20 win over Toulon and will undergo surgery on a torn bicep. Head coach Sean Everitt confirmed a “10-to-12 week” layoff, taking him out until early March.
Sykes will miss European clashes with Castres, Gloucester, and Bath, the festive United Rugby Championship derbies against Glasgow, and Scotland’s opening three Six Nations fixtures.
It’s a major setback for a player who’s become a key starter for club and country, winning seven caps and featuring heavily in November.
His absence stretches Edinburgh’s second-row depth even further. Sam Skinner remains out until late January with a hamstring issue, Rob Carmichael has yet to feature this season, and academy locks Christian Lindsay and Euan McVie are also sidelined.
With Grant Gilchrist rested for Castres, Callum Hunter-Hill and Glen Young start, and No.8 Tom Dodd provides emergency cover.
The injury list doesn’t stop there. Flanker Luke Crosbie looks doubtful for the Six Nations with a hamstring problem, while Ben Muncaster is at least a month away. Full-back Harry Paterson also picked up a hamstring strain, and Darcy Graham misses the Castres trip after a back flare-up.
There is one bright spot: centre Matt Currie returns for his first appearance of the season after months out with vertigo symptoms.
