Billy Vunipola is expected to be fit in time to fight for a World Cup recall with England.
Experienced number 8 Vunipola will miss the end of the season with Saracens after knee surgery.
But the 30-year-old has now been handed a major boost after receiving a timescale to be back playing as early as the middle of July.
Vunipola was omitted from England’s Six Nations squad under new boss Steve Borthwick, but the Saracens powerhouse will now be fit in time for the summer’s World Cup warm-up matches in August.
“Billy normally beats any length of time that he’s given with most of his injuries to be honest,” said Saracens rugby director Mark McCall.
“But it’ll be from mid-July to early August I think, as far as I understand it, if it all goes well. So hopefully that’s time enough for him to be in contention for the World Cup.”
Vunipola was carried from the Stade Marcel Deflandre field on a stretcher after suffering knee damage in Saracens’ 24-10 Champions Cup quarter-final defeat at La Rochelle on April 9.
The Sydney-born loose-forward’s need for surgery raised immediate fears that his World Cup chances could be gone.
But now Vunipola is in the mix to be fit to contest selection for the autumn tournament in France, with Saracens boss McCall tipping not just his quick recovery powers but also his ability to return in top form without delay after extended absences.
“He also comes back strongly, there’s been a number of times he’s been out for three or four months and he’s come back really strong from that,” said McCall. “So hopefully he can do that again.”
