NEWPORT Gwent Dragons are set to be without teenage centre/wing Tyler Morgan for the start of their Guinness Pro12 campaign.
The 18-year-old from Caerleon burst onto the scene at the end of last season, impressing in midfield on his league debut against the Ospreys at the Millennium Stadium and scoring a superb solo try in a man of the match display against Treviso at Rodney Parade.
Morgan continued to impress when playing on the wing for Wales Under-20s at the Junior World Championship in New Zealand; starting every game and scoring tries against Ireland and France.
However, the teenager is unlikely to pick up where he left off in the opening weeks of the new season after suffering an injury to his right foot.
Morgan is currently in a protective boot and unable to play a full part in pre-season preparations at the region's new training base in Ystrad Mynach. He is expected to be back in late August/early September, ruling him out of the Dragons' pre-season friendlies.
It gives Dragons director of rugby Lyn Jones an early midfield selection headache ahead of their Pro12 opener against Connacht on the first weekend of September as he is without Ross Wardle and Ashley Smith.
The former is targeting a December return after suffering knee ligament damage in April’s loss to Treviso while the latter is expected back in the autumn following a foot injury sustained while scoring a try against Zebre in March.
The Dragons have Jack Dixon and Pat Leach as specialist midfield options while wings Aled Brew and Matthew Pewtner have previously played outside centre.
He will be fit to vie with Jack Dixon and Pat Leach for starting spots when the Pro12 gets under way against Connacht in Galway on the first weekend of September.
Wales wing/full back Hallam Amos is expected to return to action in September after undergoing a summer operation on his left shoulder, a blow that ruled the 19-year-old out of the summer tour to South Africa.
Loosehead Phil Price is targeting a return in early autumn after undergoing foot surgery while Wales Under-20s scrum-half Luc Jones should be back in September from a knee injury.
Hooker Rhys Buckley (shoulder), prop David Young (ankle) and lock Cory Hill (thumb) will be fit to feature in pre-season after going under the knife.
The Dragons will enjoy their first run out of 2014/15 when they take part in the Premiership Rugby 7s at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park next Saturday evening (7.15pm start).
The region are poised to name their squad on Monday and it is likely to comprise of Academy talent along with sevens specialists Rhys Jones and Sam Cross, who narrowly missed out on Wales selection for the Commonwealth Games.
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