The Wales medical team have revealed Jamie Roberts could be fit for the start of the Six Nations despite a freak skull fracture.
Centre could be fit for Six Nations curtain raiser
Wales' medical team have revealed Jamie Roberts could be fit for the opening RBS Six Nations clash against England despite a freak skull fracture.
A clash of heads with Stirling Mortlock at the start of Wales's 21-18 win over Australia on Saturday saw the Wallabies captain leave the field.
However, Roberts played on for some 15 minutes with the fracture, an injury which team doctor, professor John Williams, admitted he had not seen before.
Williams said the 22-year-old - a medical student himself - would be out of action until the middle of January, three weeks before Wales begin their defence of the title at the Millennium Stadium on February 14.
Collision
"I've never seen anything like this and I was talking to some of my colleagues and they have never seen anything like this," said Williams.
"It was a collision of heads at a certain angle with a certain momentum causing a crack.
"Second week of January he could be back in contact which is three weeks before the Six Nations. We will just watch over the next two or three weeks while this heals."
Williams also divulged the extent of the Cardiff Blues centre's freak injury.
"He was admitted last night with a fracture to his skull. He is comfortable, pain-free," Williams added.
"He will be out of training for six weeks to give it a chance to heal and then back in the New Year.
"It is a fracture extending back from above the nose along the roof of the eye towards the central structures in the base of the skull.
Clean fracture
"It is a clean fracture which should heal very easily. It's an undisplaced fracture so it means that it is a crack which hasn't moved so it hasn't caused any internal damage to the brain.
"After the contact Stirling Mortlock looked like he had come off worse. Jamie was conscious throughout and there were no signs of anything, no suggestion of a fracture or any problem with his nose or eyes. The contact was with his forehead.
"And then the headache gradually came on as he was playing about five minutes after and we pulled him off as the headache got worse.
"He is a pretty tough guy. He texted the team (from the hospital) and the team thanked him for taking Stirling Mortlock out of the game!"
