Wilkinson still hopeful of making the Lions tour

Jonny Wilkinson

LONDON - World Cup-winning first five-eighths Jonny Wilkinson said yesterday that he still hoped to make the Lions tour to New Zealand in June, despite suffering his fourth serious injury in 16 months.

The England No 10, plagued by injury since helping England win the World Cup in Australia in 2003, had to be carried off during his latest comeback with his club Newcastle on Sunday with another injury to his left knee.

"I know the doubts over the Lions tour escalate," Wilkinson wrote in his column in the Times newspaper. "I've just got to dig my heels in and maybe if I can be fit around the time the team is named on April 11, maybe I can still have a shout," he said.

"I've got to make sure that if I stand a chance of making the tour that I'm ready to take it."

Wilkinson, who had shoulder and arm injuries before suffering a knee injury that kept him out for nine weeks, said he had feared the worst when he injured the same knee on Sunday.

"I had two thoughts when I suffered the injury," he said. "One ... because I heard a 'pop' noise in my knee when it happened, maybe it was worse than the previous time, maybe a total rupture of the medial ligament.

"Or two, that it might have been another ligament. A cruciate that would have required construction.

"That would have been the nightmare scenario. Thankfully, it is not as bad as that."

Wilkinson said it would take a few more days before he knew the full extent of the damage because doctors had to compare the scan from his previous injury on the same knee.

"I'm obviously hoping that it's not as bad as last time."

The Lions tour begins on June 4.

- REUTERS