George Ford to miss Sale Sharks' Investec Champions Cup clash with the Stormers after injuring knee

George Ford has been ruled out of Sale Sharks' Investec Champions Cup pool game against the Stormers in Cape Town with a knee injury as he bids to recover in time for the start of the Six Nations.

The England international suffered the knock at the end of December during the Sharks' 21-17 defeat to Northampton Saints in Gallagher Premiership Rugby.

Sale head coach Alex Sanderson confirmed the fly-half picked up a "low-grade" injury and confirmed he hadn't travelled to South Africa with the squad ahead of the third round of pool fixtures.

Ford also missed Sale's loss to Bristol Bears last time out, which was the first time they had been beaten at home in more than a year.

The Sharks currently sit third in Pool 4 after a win against Stade Francais and a loss to Leinster, and Sanderson hopes Ford will be back to full fitness in time for the final group game against La Rochelle on January 21.

"We are very hopeful that we will see him in a couple of games," Sanderson said.

"It’s an MCL, a very low-grade MCL which you can stiffen up with injections, some plasma and stiffen your ligaments up.

"I’m not going to get medical, technical, because I’ll get it wrong – but he is making a good recovery.

"I would have loved him to be here – we had quite a long conversation, but he just wants to do what is best, as he would do, by his knee for us, for England if selected, so he had two injections this week."

Steve Borthwick will be without Owen Farrell for the Six Nations after the 32-year-old made himself unavailable in order to prioritise his and his family's mental wellbeing, but Sanderson allayed fears Ford won't be available for England's opening encounter away to Italy on February 3.

Asked what England fans should make of Ford being absent from the latest Sale squad, he added: "They’ll be excited, they’ll be very excited. He’ll be fresh."

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