Back row Cornell du Preez went to hospital after sustaining a worrying blow to his throat in Worcester Warriors’ 21-20 defeat to Wasps at Sixways.

The Scotland international, making his competitive debut for Warriors in the Premiership opener, was a second half substitute but lasted just five minutes before being forced off with the injury.Director of rugby Alan Solomons confirmed du Preez, who joined Worcester from Edinburgh this summer, had fractured his larynx, also known as the voice box.

“Cornell was tackled around the throat and they are saying he has got a fractured larynx,” Solomons said.“I don’t know what happened. I haven’t seen it, but something must have hit him. He is not going to fracture his larynx (without being hit).

“It’s major and that’s the way I understand it. He has gone to hospital.”

Asked whether he was concerned about the injury to du Preez, Solomons replied: “Yes, I am.

“Nobody seemed to pick that (tackle) up but it doesn’t look good to me.

“The larynx sits above the shoulder line.”On Sunday, Warriors’ defence coach Omar Mouneimne tweeted: “Prayers for our brother Cornell Du Preez who suffered a cracked larynx in yesterday’s game and is in hospital.”

Du Preez’s injury caused fly-half Jono Lance to fill in at number eight and scrum-half Francois Hougaard to move to the wing.Warriors also suffered a set-back in the warm-up as second row Anton Bresler was withdrawn with a groin problem. Andrew Kitchener replaced Bresler in the starting line-up with Pierce Phillips drafted onto the bench.

“We weren’t going to risk Bressie going into the field when he wasn’t feeling right,” Solomons said.

“I thought the side adapted unbelievably well, especially when you think at the end of that game Jono was playing on the flank.

“We kept Ashley Beck back (on the bench) because we thought something else might happen.“We have got to have a player that can go on or else we would have been down to 14 men.”

worcester news