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Gloucester give update on Danny Cipriani injury and new contract talks for star
By Online Editors
Gloucester is giving Danny Cipriani every chance to prove his fitness in order to be a late inclusion for their Heineken Champions Cup clash with Munster on the weekend.
The star flyhalf hasn't played since suffering a chest injury in a pool match against Exeter in mid-December, which has seen the cherry whites go 2-2 in the Premiership since.
Gloucester sits fourth in Pool 2 but a win over pool leaders Munster would propel them back into contention to win it and qualify for the finals.
"If you ask Danny, he is ready to go. That's a good sign for us," coach Johan Ackermann told Sportsmail.
"Danny has a fitness test on Thursday, hopefully he comes through. Yesterday was a big marker because we had a semi-contact training. He did his own contact yesterday, too.
"If the medical staff clear him then he'll be up for selection. I will give him as much time as possible, as it has been a short turnaround from Leicester on Saturday, but will take guidance from the medical team.
"I like it if players are as strong as they were before the injury."
The 31-year-old has been a major influence on the club since joining this season after Wasps went after Lima Sopoaga, lifting the side in playoff contention in the Premiership.
Cipriani took a pay cut and signed with Gloucester below his overseas market value in order to push his case for national selection with England. The club is in talks to extend his original two-year deal past 2020, showing his commitment to the club despite being overlooked for England recently.
"Danny is open-minded on England," Ackermann explained.
"He is not putting his house on that. He knows where he stands with Eddie Jones and what he needs to do.
'This is purely a decision that he wants to stay in the English competition — and it is a privilege he wants to stay with Gloucester specifically.
'The World Cup is this year, so he could have signed, stayed until the 2019-20 season and then gone wherever.
'The fact that he wants to extend beyond that puts the club's ambitions before England. He wants to stay regardless of what happens with England.
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