Boss Dean Ryan has revealed back row dynamo Ollie Griffiths will be ruled out for “weeks rather than days”.
The 25-year-old was forced off in last weekend’s Champions Cup defeat to Wasps after injuring his right ankle.
Ryan has now confirmed the dynamic number eight needs further assessment of the damage – ruling hum out of Saturday’s European trip to Bordeuax-Begles.
“It needs further investigation and it will be some weeks until we get an understanding of how to deal with it,” said the Director of Dragons Rugby.
“We will get further advice but it looks to be a number of weeks that he will be out for, which is a shame because he was gathering some real momentum.
"It's becoming apparent that it's week rather than days but I can't wait for him to come back.
"I saw enough from him in four games that everybody should be waiting for him to come back - he's an international in waiting.
“You don't play the game as well as Ollie plays it without risk,” added Ryan. “Sometimes you just wish a bit of luck was around for him and that he could string a few more games together.
“That was probably the first time that I have seen him play four consecutive games and he has been outstanding.
“I can see why everybody is always so eager to see him back. Let's just get through this one.
"He is down in the dumps but he is incredibly robust mentally. He is pretty single-minded and his view is 'we've been here before, let's get on with it'.
"You can't remove the fact that it does pray on somebody's mind when they start coming back. "We were just starting to laugh about it being four games, let's get it to five. It was just starting to not be at the forefront of everybody's mind.
"That's the challenge of this game that we play, it has huge risk for players like Ollie.”
It looks to be a number of weeks that he will be out for, which is a shame because he was gathering some real momentum...
