DIRECTOR of rugby Dean Ryan has revealed Jake Abbott’s wretched run of injuries was a key factor behind his decision not to award the flanker a new contract.
However, Ryan told the Observer the door at Sixways will remain open for the 26-year-old to return to his boyhood club where he made 72 appearances.
At the start of last season Abbott, who had missed a large portion of the 2012/13 campaign due to injury, had been looking to make the number seven shirt his own after the departure of Matt Kvesic.
But unfortunately his injury curse struck again in November as he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which brought his season to an abrupt end and also led Ryan to look for a replacement.
“Injuries do rob you of opportunities and you only get so many opportunities,” Ryan said.
“There was a time last year when Jake was coming back and playing really well, but then he got injured again, which robbed him of a huge slice of the season.
“In that time, it allowed Sam (Betty) to develop, it saw us move for Coxy (Matt Cox) and allowed us to look at some academy players.
“So all of a sudden we are thinking we don’t want him to go, but where is he going to play as the back row is looking pretty contested.”
Ryan said it was a tough decision to let Abbott go as he had been associated with Warriors since the age of six and has worked his way through the entire system to play for the first team.
But the Warriors boss believes the former Worcester Sixth Form College pupil will come back stronger and he insisted the home-grown ace could return to the club in the future.
“I would rather be honest with individuals than allow them to just stagnate,” Ryan said.
“There is nothing worse than standing in front of a player six months down the line and say ‘I can’t create an opportunity for you’ because that is more damaging to their career.
“If he takes his opportunity elsewhere and if he develops at a pace that is better than any other player then there is nothing we would like to see more than Jake back here.”