Edinburgh centre Mark Bennett out until new year

Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill has confirmed that Scotland centre Mark Bennett has ruptured his hamstring and will be out until at least the New Year.

Mark Bennett

The 25-year-old, inset, was stretchered off in the first half of last Friday’s 30-29 defeat at Ulster and underwent a scan earlier this week.

Cockerill revealed that it had confirmed suspicions of a rupture, which is the latest injury blow for the former Glasgow midfielder, who has endured long-term shoulder and knee injuries in his career. “He’s ruptured his hamstring at the insertion of the tendon and he’ll have surgery early next week,” reported the coach.

“The timescale I’m not sure about but it’ll be that sort of time [three or four months] I would imagine.”

Cockerill is also without 
No.8 Bill Mata, who picked up a shoulder knock in Belfast, for tonight’s first home Guinness Pro14 match of the season against Connacht and Lewis Carmichael, although the coach expects the 23-year-old lock to be available for selection for next week’s trip to Leinster.

Scotland scrum-half Henry Pyrgos has shaken off a bang to the knee and starts this evening.