Louie Hennessey will play no part in the new Nations Championship this summer
Wales centre Louie Hennessey has been ruled out of this summer’s Nations Championship after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Bath confirmed the 22-year-old has had to withdraw from Wales’ 48-man training squad after picking up an injury in their Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Bordeaux. Wales have confirmed there are no plans to bring in a replacement.
With Bath’s season still ongoing as they look to retain their Gallagher Prem crown, the one-cap centre had not yet linked up with Steve Tandy’s squad – with some players reporting for duty this week.
Now, Hennessey will spend his summer recovering from surgery.
Tandy still has a host of midfield options to rely upon in his mammoth training squad.
Hennessey had been one of seven specialist centres named in the squad last month.
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The Wales coach still has uncapped Harlequins centre Bryn Bradley to join his squad, along with regulars Ben Thomas, Joe Hawkins, Eddie James, Max Llewellyn and Joe Roberts.
Mason Grady, while mainly used as a wing in recent seasons, is also capable of playing 13.
Hennessey had been called up by Wales for the first time ahead of this year’s Six Nations.
The former U20s international would go on to make his debut during the tournament, coming off the bench late in the defeat to Ireland in Dublin.
Cruelly, the young centre had been one of Bath’s standout players in their European exit, scoring against eventual champions Bordeaux out in France before picking up the shoulder injury.
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Earlier this week, new Wales call-up Bradley had spoken about how he was looking forward to joining his former age-grade midfield partner Hennessey in Wales’ senior squad.
“I probably knew at the time that those two (Hennessey and Dan Edwards) would go on to greater things,” he told WalesOnline.
“It was quite nice playing in between them. I just had to do my job and they’d do the rest.
“It’s always good seeing those boys from U20s progress because it gives you confidence you can make the step-up too. I can’t wait to get in and get around those boys.”
Tandy has also suffered one injury blow this week, with tighthead prop Keiron Assiratti looking doubtful to be involved.
No official announcement has been made, but he is expected to be ruled out.
Uncapped Ospreys prop Rhys Henry is training with the squad, although that is understood to have been planned prior to the Cardiff prop’s injury last weekend.
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