 Gavin Henson is helped by the Ospreys medical staff after injuring his ankle
Gavin Henson has responded to persistent rumours he will quit rugby by stressing his desire to return. "I fully anticipate returning before too long having overcome injuries that have been a recurring problem for nearly three years," said a statement. Henson's club, the Ospreys, admitted earlier this month that they did not know whether the Wales and Lions centre, 27, would return this season. The double Grand Slam winner has been hit by groin and ankle injuries. "I'm grateful to the Ospreys' management for providing me with the time needed for these injuries to be finally dealt with and I'm looking forward to getting on with my playing career at the Ospreys just as soon as I can," read Henson's statement on the Ospreys website.  | 606: DEBATE |
Henson, who has 31 Wales caps, has suffered a series of injuries over the past two seasons, including trouble with his Achilles and calf. His lack of match fitness saw him overlooked for the recent British and Irish Lions' tour of South Africa, having been selected four years earlier for the series in New Zealand. Ospreys elite performance director Andrew Hore says the cause of Henson's groin and ankle problems are a mystery. Coaching boss Scott Johnson says medical opinion is divided over the nature of Henson's injuries. Hore said: "We're not going to put that [time] pressure on. We're just going to give it time and take it from there." Henson's latest injury - an ankle problem - flared up during his side's EDF Energy Cup semi-final defeat by Gloucester in March. In July a report claimed injury problems had prompted Henson to seriously consider retiring, but the player and his region responded by denying that was the case. Speaking at the Ospreys' kit launch earlier this month - that Henson did not attend - Hore and Johnson said the Ospreys will not set a deadline or nominate a date by which they expect Henson to return. "We don't want to put that time pressure on him," added Johnson. "I think that's been part of it [Henson's past injury problems] too, that rush to get Gav back instead of just saying: 'look, just go and get it sorted mate' and come back when you can join us." "We've just got to sit back and wait. It just keeps playing up, particularly in and around the times that he wants to start kicking again. "There's just conflicting stuff regarding the medical information, but at the forefront of this is it's limiting his ability to do what makes him a great rugby player. "Let's see if we can fix this once and for all because he's too good a player to be on the sidelines. "It's difficult for the lad. It's difficult for the team and it's difficult for everyone, but the reality is Gav is not fit enough to do the skills he needs to do at the moment. "We're trying to get a resolution to the issues. We can't put the work in with his kicking. "The lower half of his body is still playing up so we've go to make sure that what is at the forefront of this are the interests of the lad and once we get the issues fully identified we can rectify it. "As soon has he's fit enough to play, he'll be playing, but that could be a wee way off from what I'm hearing. "They're [Henson's injuries] all inter-related. That's the issue. "It was such an innocuous injury that he did last in the latter part of last season, but it was a follow-on from the groin issues and the issues that he'd had in the lower back/hamstring. "So it's limiting his ability to kick, which is a big part of his armoury. He can't put in the work and it's affecting so much of his physical development." Archive: Henson's ankle gives way
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