New Zealand Head Coach Steve Hansen has been boosted by the news that Nehe Milner-Skudder is due to return to competitive rugby in June.
The All Blacks' management have been hit with a slew of high profile injuries in recent weeks with Jerome Kaino, Ben Smith and national captain Kieran Read all struggling for fitness with the Lions tour fast approaching.
Speaking to local media, 2015 Rugby World Cup winner Milner-Skudder said: "I'm making progress. It obviously took a little bit longer than we expected. The first couple of weeks went so well just coming off the crutches but the three to six week mark it took a while to knit back together.
"I got it re-x-rayed and there was a little bit of calcification of the bone but not as much as we expected. I got back on the treadmill yesterday, another step in the right direction.
Hurricanes' Nehe Milner-Skudder runs in a try. Image: ©INPHO/Photosport/Marty Melville
"It's a bit of relief and a lot of satisfaction changing it up from being on the rower and the grinder. It's heading in the right direction, getting back on my feet and getting the legs ticking over," he added.
The Lions are due to face the Hurricanes on the 27th June while the test series begins three days earlier.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
