Scarlets: Scott Williams and Jonathan Davies add to midfield worries
- Published
Jonathan Davies scored as Scarlets beat Bayonne 20-7 at Stade Jean Dauger
URC: Scarlets v Bulls |
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Venue: Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli Date: Friday, 27 January Kick-off: 19:35 GMT |
Coverage: Scrum V Live on BBC Two Wales & live commentary on BBC Radio Wales Live, the BBC Sport website and app. Match report and highlights on the BBC Sport website and app. Highlights on Scrum V, Sunday, BBC Two Wales from 19:00 GMT and online and later on demand |
Scarlets centre Scott Williams is out for the rest of the season while captain Jonathan Davies faces being out until at least mid-February.
Williams, 32, has a hamstring injury while fellow Wales international Davies has calf muscle damage.
British and Irish Lion Davies, 34, left the field as Scarlets completed a European Challenge Cup Pool B clean sweep at Bayonne.
Also, another Wales centre, Johnny Williams, has been out since October.
Scott Williams suffered his injury as Scarlets beat Dragons in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on 1 January.
Former Wales Under-18s centre Joe Roberts, 22, has impressed in recent weeks, and ex-Wales Under-20s centre Eddie James are currently among Scarlets' stretched midfield options.
Johnny Williams suffered a calf injury against Benetton, forcing him out of contention for the disappointing autumn internationals that led to the end of Wayne Pivac's tenure as Wales coach.
Scarlets head coach Dwayne Peel said: "Scott is gone for the season. He pulled a hamstring against Dragons - it was a nasty one so he's had surgery. He's done for the season - he'll be [back] pre-season at best."
Peel hopes Johnny Williams will play for Scarlets before the end of the Six Nations on 18 March.
He said: "He's still on the sidelines… he was running today [Tuesday], albeit indoors here so I can't give a definite on that. I'm anticipating it's not going to be too long, but he's not in rugby training yet.
"He's not running on the grass in boots yet so it'll be a couple of weeks I'd say - before the end of the Six Nations I'm hoping he will have played."
Davies won the most recent of his 96 Wales caps in the 2022 Six Nations before being overlooked by Pivac for the summer tour of South Africa and the autumn internationals.
Returning head coach Warren Gatland also left the 34-year-old out of this year's Six Nations squad in favour of younger players such as Joe Hawkins and uncapped Mason Grady.
Scarlets, who play Brive at home in the Challenge Cup last 16 on the weekend of 31 March-2 April, return to URC action against Bulls in Llanelli on Friday.
Peel's side have won six of their past eight fixtures and will be hoping their European form sparks a resurgence in the league where they are currently second from bottom in the table.