Jimmy Gopperth: Wasps lose prolific fly-half to ACL injury

Jimmy Gopperth was the star of 2016-17, winning the players', Premiership and Wasps' player of the year awards

Wasps could be without playmaker Jimmy Gopperth for up to nine months after anterior cruciate ligament surgery.

The 35-year-old, who can play fly-half or inside centre, who was injured in a pre-season friendly against Connacht, will be out for six to nine months.

Gopperth played 22 games last season at inside centre and stand-off.

All Blacks fly-half Lima Sopoaga is unlikely to arrive in time for Wasps' Premiership opener at Worcester on 1 September.

Gopperth's injury leaves director of rugby Dai Young in a quandary following the summer departures of Danny Cipriani to Gloucester and Kyle Eastmond to Leicester.

Full-back Rob Miller could deputise or Bristol's Billy Searle, who was signed this summer, but Gopperth, who won a clean sweep of player awards in 2016-17 as Wasps reached the Premiership final, will be difficult to replace.

He has scored 1,290 points in six Premiership seasons with Newcastle and Wasps, either side of a spell at Leinster.

Meanwhile, prop Jake Cooper-Woolley and hooker TJ Harris face lay-offs with biceps injuries.

Cooper-Woolley will be out for up to eight weeks, while Harris is expected to return within six weeks after surgery, but will miss the start of the season.