World Cup hopes for All Black star hang in the balance following knee injury.

All Blacks winger Waisake Naholo’s hopes of making the Rugby World Cup in Japan later this year hang in balance after he suffered a training ground knee injury that will see the star miss up to 6 weeks.

Naholo (27) was a member of the All Blacks World Cup winning-squad in 2015, had a scan on Tuesday which revealed “a grade 2 MCL injury”.

“He is currently in a knee brace and will be unavailable for up to 6 weeks while he is rehabilitating,”
Highlanders.

The injury comes at a bad time for Naholo who has struggled for form of late, not replicating the form that has seen him run out for the All Blacks on 26 occasions.

If the diagnosis of 6 weeks out is correct he would return mid-May giving himself just 4 regular season games to prove to the All Blacks selectors he should be in the mix for the Rugby Championship & RWC 2019.

Naholo is not the only injury worry for the All Blacks with Highlanders team mate Liam Squire also out with a knee injury suffered at training last month. Aaron Smith who just yesterday confirmed his future post RWC is also out for approximately 6 weeks with an ankle sprain while Sam Cane is recovering from a broken neck he sustained last year in the Rugby Championship.

Highlanders who have lost 3 from 4 of their last games will miss Naholo’s magic on the wing and all New Zealand fans will be hoping the Fijian born wing will be able to get back to form in time for Japan 2019.