Jake Polledri: Gloucester flanker is still 'not near' to injury return

Gloucester flanker Polledri has not played for his club since the end of the 2019/20 season

Gloucester flanker Jake Polledri is still "not near" to returning from a knee injury he sustained almost a year ago, says head coach George Skivington.

Polledri, 25, suffered a significant knee ligament injury during Italy's match against Scotland in the Autumn Nations Cup on 17 November.

He has had surgery and been on the sidelines ever since.

"He's not near to coming back any time soon yet," Skivington told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

Bristol-born Polledri, 25, joined Gloucester in 2017 and has won 19 caps for the Azzuri, having making his international debut in March 2018.

He scored three tries for the Cherry and Whites across 19 appearances during the 2019-2020 season.

"Jake has made some really good progress the last couple of months, but Jake's injury was severe," said Skivington.

"There was a number of things that happened there in that knee area. There's a little bit of nerve stuff which is still ongoing, so he's still a way off playing yet.

"But thankfully about a month ago there was some real progression, a sort of sticky point in a recovery if you like. That's really positive."

Skivington, however, was unable to put a time frame on when Polledri might be returning.

"Unfortunately it's not really an injury you can put a time scale on. Believe me, I'm asking for a time scale all the time, but there isn't a timescale you can put on it.

"It's very much let's keep pushing it and when it all comes together it comes together," he said.