Bath and Scotland centre Cameron Redpath is unlikely to take to a rugby pitch again this year after it was confirmed he has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Sale Sharks earlier this month.
Redpath sustained the damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the closing moments of the May 14 showdown at the Recreation Ground and is to undergo surgery on Wednesday.
A recovery time of six to nine months rules him out of Scotland’s summer Tests against Romania and Georgia and also their entire autumn campaign, with a December return for Bath the most optimistic outlook for his comeback.
A Bath statement read: “The rehab team will work with the 21-year-old after his surgery to allow him to be back to his best as soon as possible.
“Everyone at Bath are with Cameron every step of the way and wish him a speedy recovery.”
It is a savage blow for Redpath, who impressed on his Test debut against England in February to the extent that he was seen as a bolter for the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa this summer.
But a neck injury diagnosed in the hours following the match at Twickenham saw the former Sedbergh School star miss the rest of the Six Nations.
His absence for Bath will be felt well into the 2021-22 season, with Rhys Priestland and Will Chudley set to leave the club’s backline stocks this summer for Cardiff Blues and Worcester Warriors, respectively.