Stormers Scrumhalf Ruled Out Until April With ACL Tear

The Stormers will have to wait until April to welcome back promising scrumhalf Imad Khan after director of rugby John Dobson confirmed that the youngster is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an ACL injury.

Khan suffered the injury just three minutes into the Stormers’ opening match of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour against the All Blacks at DHL Stadium in August.

The young scrumhalf sustained a bizarre non-contact knee injury while moving along the touchline and was forced from the field in the early stages of the encounter.

It was a particularly cruel blow for Khan, who had been handed the opportunity to start alongside fellow Junior Springbok Yaqeen Ahmed against New Zealand in what was a historic occasion for the Stormers.

Dobson has now confirmed the severity of the injury, with Khan expected to return for the Stormers’ United Rugby Championship clash against Munster in April.

“He’ll be back for the Munster game in April. It’s a really big blow for us,” Dobson said.

Khan’s injury comes at a frustrating time in his development after the young scrumhalf enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season.

“Last year was his breakthrough and this year was going to be a season where he really established himself,” Dobson added.

The Stormers director of rugby acknowledged the difficult physical and mental challenge that comes with recovering from an ACL injury, particularly for a young player who had established himself within the squad.

“An ACL is a horrible injury. You’re so immobile that it’s hard to remain part of the group, and when you’re on camp, you’re on crutches as well. But he’s back in April,” Dobson said.

The injury is also a setback for the Stormers’ scrumhalf resources, with the club viewing Khan as an important part of their plans following his emergence last season.

His absence was already felt in the opening minutes against the All Blacks, with the Stormers later losing replacement scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage to a broken arm. The injuries left the Stormers without a specialist scrumhalf for the closing stages of their 38-21 defeat.

For Dobson, however, the immediate priority is ensuring Khan receives the support he needs during what promises to be a lengthy rehabilitation process.

“We’ve put an arm around him. That kid is special. I think we saw that during last season,” Dobson said.

Khan’s return in April would provide the Stormers with another boost towards the latter stages of the URC campaign. For now, however, the 22-year-old faces the demanding task of recovering from an injury that has interrupted what was expected to be an important season in his development.

After making his breakthrough last season and being trusted to start against the All Blacks, Khan will now have to wait several months before getting another opportunity to continue his progress.