Six Nations 2018: Ben Youngs 'embracing chance to come back better than ever' after season-ending injury

Scrum-half unlikely to play again this season after rupturing his medial collateral ligament in his left knee but already has his sights set on his return

Ben Youngs is targeting a return to action in better condition than ever before, according to Steve Borthwick (Getty)

Ben Youngs may be facing a season-ending injury after rupturing his medial collateral ligament in his knee on Sunday, but England coach Steve Borthwick has revealed that the scrum-half is already targeting his comeback and believes the lay-off will allow him to return even fitter than he was.

The Leicester Tigers No 9 collapsed when Dylan Hartley and Italian prop Simone Ferrari accidentally fell onto his left leg, leaving Youngs writhing on the turf in agony and screaming loud enough for it to be heard on the referee’s microphone.

But after having a scan on Monday to reveal the full extent of the damage – ruling him out for at least four months and potentially ending his season – Youngs has cut a largely positive figure.

"Obviously the first thing is he's a player and you're tremendously disappointed for him,” Borthwick said on Tuesday after England’s return from Italy where they claimed a comprehensive 46-15 victory. “He's been playing so well, working so hard to constantly improve his game.

"Interestingly though, like he said to me this morning, it's an opportunity for him to get better and he's already embracing the opportunity it gives to come back physically even better shape than he's ever been in.

"So he's taken a really great approach to what is clearly a really disappointing situation."

Youngs saw a specialist on Tuesday for further assessment, but while he could theoretically return to action in May, he is unlikely to be rushed back for the summer tour of South Africa. He posted a message on Twitter to thank those who have passed on their best wishes for a speedy recovery, with the 28-year-old writing: “Thanks everyone for your kind messages of support, with great people around me I’ll be back to contribute soon enough.”

With Youngs now out of England’s remaining four Six Nations games, Eddie Jones called 34-year-old Saracens scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth into the squad despite having not made a Test appearance since the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The veteran half-back met up with the squad upon their return to the UK, and Borthwick said that he has already been lending his experience in squad meetings to assist with their preparations for Saturday’s encounter with Wales.

"Firstly he's an outstanding player who brings a great experience and knowledge of the game, he's been playing at the top level of European rugby for a long time now,” Borthwick explained. "I was sitting in meetings with him this morning and the input he has, the experience he has, the ideas he has have been excellent.

"He's come into camp and straight away fitted in seamlessly with the players, picking up all the calls and everything he needs to do.

"One thing that always stands out for me is always how fit and the great condition he's in, for a player in that position you need to be and he certainly is that.

"All the times I used to see him in the fitness tests in the summer when we did fitness testing, there was always him and Neil de Kock at the front and he's continued that - he's playing well and is in fantastic shape."

Richard Wigglesworth steps in for the injured Ben Youngs (Getty)

Another player who returned to Pennyhill Park this week was Wasps No 8 Nathan Hughes, who is nearing a return from the knee injury he suffered in December, and while Saturday’s clash against Wales will be too soon for the back-row to target, he has impressed the England staff with how he has kept up his conditioning during the lay-off.

"He's come into camp like we've done with players in the past to assess where they're at and how their rehabilitation period has gone,” said Borthwick. "He's been very diligent in his preparation, he did a short session with me yesterday and looks in really good shape.

"I think at this stage it is probably just getting assessed to see exactly where he's at and he's just progressing."

Hughes was initially ruled out of at least the first three rounds of the Six Nations, meaning that a return against France on 10 March was the best that England were hoping for. However, he could yet feature in the third match against Scotland on 24 February to hand England an injury boost ahead of the Calcutta Cup clash at Murrayfield.