Duhan Van Der Merwe Injury Update: Rugby Star's Lions Hopes Boosted With Return Expected In May

Duhan Van der Merwe’s hopes of making the British and Lions squad remain intact remain intact after Edinburgh confirmed the winger is expected to return to action in May following an update on a scan on his ankle injury. Last Friday, during their United Rugby Championship (URC) victory against Dragons RFC, the winger sustained an ankle injury.

Van der Merwe, Scotland’s record try scorer, had to take an off early in the match, raising concerns on whether he will be available for the upcoming Lions tour to Australia.

Despite this, the scan results revealed that all is well and he is on track to recover time. Andy Farrell, the British & Irish Lions’ head coach, is expected to announce his squad on May 8, and if Van der Merwe’s rehabilitation goes as planned, he remains a top contender for this selection. He was featured in all three matches on the 2021 Lions tour to South Africa.

With the two final URC fixtures against Connacht scheduled for May 10 and Ulster on May 16, Edinburgh faces a huge challenge.

They are currently in playoff contention; if the team advances, Van der Merwe could return for the final weekend of May. So far, he has been knocked out of Edinburgh’s challenge CUP round-of-16 fixture against the Lions this Friday. There is a high chance that he could also miss quarterfinal and semifinal matches should the team progress.

Meanwhile, Lock Marshall Sykes suffered a foot injury in the same match against Dragons. He has been a key player for Edinburgh’s squad this season and is expected to return before the end of May.

Sean Everitt, the head coach of Edinburgh Rugby, remains hopeful about the two players’ recovery; he pointed out the importance of their return. Speaking about Van der Merwe’s condition, the head coach acknowledged the winger's ankle was "a bit swollen" and confirmed he would miss the Challenge CUP match against the Lions. "Obviously, we’re hoping for the best, that it’s not too serious," he said. "We’re at an important part of our season now, so we’re just hoping that it isn’t serious and that he can return to training as soon as possible."