PROP Rob O’Donnell has joined Greene King IPA Championship rivals Nottingham on loan as he looks to press his case for first team selection at Sixways.
The 28-year-old made 23 appearances for the club last season, which earned him a one-year extension to his contract at the end of the campaign.
But the Liverpool-born tight-head has found chances hard to come by this season as summer signings Nick Schonert and Mike Daniels have both performed well in the number three jersey.
His lack of opportunities has now led director of rugby Dean Ryan to send him out to Nottingham where he has joined fellow Worcester prop George Porter who has also gone out on loan.
But the Warriors boss insisted O’Donnell, who was on the bench for Nottingham’s game against Cornish Pirates last Saturday, would return to the club in two weeks’ time ahead of the British & Irish Cup campaign.
“George (Porter) won’t return for the B&I Cup and we knew that as we have got enough resources,” he said.
“But Rob probably will come back just because we can’t afford two of our props not to be illegible for the B&I.
“What we have been able to do is see George in a different light playing Championship rugby at the same time of developing Ryan Bower and Val (Rapava Ruskin), which gives me three choices.
“With 22 on the bench I am struggling to find a loose-head development because I have got to have a tight-head on the bench and that’s an issue which we have only just bumped into in the Championship.
“Nottingham have got some injury problems at the moment, so they are guaranteeing them game-time and they also have two or three big games coming up.”
Ryan said he may also look at sending wing Josh Drauniniu out on loan as he has made just one outing for the first team since returning from injury.
“There are a few people who just sit in that senior bracket which don’t get as much access to game time as we would like, so if that happens we would look to get them playing,” he said.
“Josh is possibly another one of those guys although he has lost a lot of rugby through injury, so he missed the chance to play in the A League and that’s why we have got to be quite specific about how we find the answer for them.”