Glasgow Warriors centre Alex Dunbar has suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for the remainder of the season. Matt Scott replaces him in Scotland squad. Plus Jason Tovey makes permanent move to Edinburgh.

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Dunbar has had terrible luck with injuries

Poor old Alex Dunbar. The big Glasgow centre will once again be forced to sit out the crunch games for both Glasgow and Scotland thanks to yet another injury, this time to his knee, sustained in Glasgow’s last game of the regular season against Connacht.

It is understood that, whilst he won’t require any surgery on the bone injury, he will be forced to take at least a couple of months off to heal.

As a result he’ll miss this weekend’s Pro12 Semi Final against Connacht , which will be a big blow to Gregor Townsend’s men who already have an uphill battle ahead of them to make history and become the first team to win a playoff Semi away from home.

Just who will replace him for Glasgow remains to be seen, but the likely centre partnership will now be Peter Horne and Mark Bennett which, whilst also exciting, is a very different proposition and one that will be missing Dunbar’s impressive ball winning abilities.

[blockquote author=”Gregor Townsend” pull=”normal”]“We’re disappointed for Alex that his season has been cut short through injury. He had been playing very well and played a big role in getting us into the GUINNESS PRO12 Play-Offs.”[/blockquote]

Dunbar has been in impressive form the past few months, whereas Bennett has been blowing hot and cold – which saw him dropped from the Scotland squad during the 6 Nations and relegated to Glasgow’s bench. So Warriors fans will be hoping the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year nominee can quickly rediscover the blistering form that made him a standout during last year’s Rugby World Cup.

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Mark Bennett has been struggling to find form

But it’s not just Townsend who will have to redraft his plans, Scotland supremo Vern Cotter has had to call up departing Edinburgh centre Matt Scott to replace Dunbar. Whilst Scott is no mean replacement himself, he has also had his own injury issues of late and has been struggling to regain the form he showed earlier in the season.

With Mark Bennett ruling himself out of selection to pursue his Olympic dream, Scotland will now have to form a strong centre partnership from Horne, Scott and Duncan Taylor. Thankfully the latter should be over-brimming with confidence following Saturday’s Champions Cup victory with club side Saracens.

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Matt Scott has a chance to make the shirt his own

Tovey To Stay At Edinburgh

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In more positive news Edinburgh fans will be glad to hear that Jason Tovey, the Welsh fly half brought in on loan from the Newport Gwent Dragons, has made the move permanent signing a two year deal with the capital side.

He will now compete with fellow new signing Duncan Weir for the stand off berth, which certainly makes a change from the makeshift fly halves Edinburgh have had to employ over the past couple of seasons.

[blockquote author=”Edinburgh Coach Alan Solomons” pull=”normal”]“It is terrific news for the club that Jason has committed to us. He is a quality flyhalf and an excellent goal kicker, who has added huge value over the past month or so.”[/blockquote]

What do you think of the injury to Dunbar and signing of Tovey? Let us know in the comments below.

Here’s Dunbar at his best

Credit: RBS 6 Nations