Dallaglio and Greening confident on tour

Lawrence Dallaglio and Phil Greening said today they were both recovering well from injuries as they aimed to take their places…

Lawrence Dallaglio and Phil Greening said today they were both recovering well from injuries as they aimed to take their places in the British and Irish Lions squad for the tour to Australia.

Media reports have suggested that Dallaglio, the former England captain who strained knee ligaments playing for his club Wasps in May, would miss the Test series in June and July.

Meanwhile, Greening had surgery on a head injury and admitted, while joking the operation made him look like the "Elephant Man", he feared he might be forced out of the tour.

But they told rugbyicons.com they expected to be on the plane when the 37-strong squad leaves Britain on June 1.

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Dallaglio said: "I feel very strong at the moment and positive about my chances of going on the Lions tour.

"I have started putting my knee through some tentative work this week and so far I've suffered no adverse reaction.

"It is getting better every day and responding well, so I will definitely be joining up with the Lions squad this weekend (May 26)."

Wasps hooker Greening admitted he may not be able to take part in contact training until the squad arrives in Australia.

Greening said he had picked up a cut at training which had got progressively worse.

"I had severed nerves in my head and the injury also affected my eye socket which meant in matches like England's Six Nations win over France, I was having an injection in the cut just to get me through the game. "I was beginning to think the injury could have made me miss the tour because the pain was so excruciating. "When I had the operation last Wednesday, the swelling was just incredible. I looked more like the Elephant Man and was too scared to go out of the house over the weekend."

However Greening said the surgeon reassured him the swelling would subside and he would be fit for the tour.

The Lions face Australia in three Tests, on June 30, July 7 and July 14. -Reuters