Six Nations: Ryan Wilson ruled out with knee injury for rest of the championship as injury crisis deepens

Glasgow flanker suffered knee ligament damage in the weekend defeat by Ireland and becomes the eighth back-row option to be ruled out through injury

Scotland’s fading hopes of a Six Nations title challenge have suffered a large blow as it was confirmed on Monday that influential flanker Ryan Wilson will miss the rest of the tournament with a knee injury.

The 29-year-old back-row did not emerge for the second half of Scotland’s 22-13 defeat by Ireland on Saturday, and a medical update has confirmed that he is expected to miss the remaining three round of the championship due to ligament damage.

As a result, Scotland have sent Wilson back to Glasgow Warriors for treatment, joining Edinburgh’s John Barclay on the long-term injury list as the No 8 continues to recover from a ruptured Achilles tendon that looks set to keep him out of the entire Six Nations campaign.

Head coach Gregor Townsend is without a number of options in the back-row after being hit by an injury crisis, with Wilson and Barclay joined on the sidelines by Hamish Watson, Sam Skinner, Dave Denton, Blade Thomson, John Hardie and Magnus Bradbury.

Rob Harley, who came on initially for Jamie Ritchie as he received treatment before staying on for Wilson, and Newcastle’s Gary Graham are the likely candidates to come into the starting line-up for the trip to Paris to face France on Saturday 23 February.

Townsend is also sweating on the fitness of full-back Stuart Hogg and centre Huw Jones, who both suffered knocks at the weekend, but they will remain in camp this week to be seen by a specialist before a decision is make on their selection for the France clash.

Hogg lasted just 16 minutes before he left the field with a shoulder injury, while Jones injured his knee late in the match.