Sean Everitt insists Darcy Graham will be given all the time he needs to return to full fitness after confirming the Edinburgh winger will undergo surgery for a groin problem next week.

The 26-year-old has been hampered by injuries over the past 12 months and has played just four times for Edinburgh this season. He also missed the 2023 Six Nations and all of the current championship. 

He was set to return to the Scotland set-up ahead of the Calcutta Cup clash, but picked up the injury while training with Edinburgh.

Everitt is preparing his team to face Ospreys in the URC on Friday night and admits it’s frustrating to not have Graham available for the run-in as they try to clinch a top eight finish/ 

Everitt wants to give Graham time to recover from his injury problems and return as the player they know he can be.

The South African said: “He is an explosive athlete, as we all know, and he’s got good feet, so he is at risk of getting injuries. I think it is bad luck. I have coached many players in the past who are just injury prone and sometimes it just goes away after a period of time.

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“I just feel it is important that at this stage in his career that he gets time to sort out the niggles he has been carrying over a period of time. We all know the pressures of the World Cup, the pressure that was on to play in that tournament and get the best possible result.

"There is an opportunity now for Darcy to use this time to get better, and if need be take the rest of this season plus the pre-season to build himself up in to top form.

“Darcy is 26 years old, we’ve signed him long term at the club, we all know that he is world class when he is on top of his game, so it is vitally important for him as an individual that we look after his wellbeing other than the physical side of his performance.

“A player who is in a good state of mind and injury free is a player who is going to perform week in and week out.”

Everitt dismissed any suggestions that he had tried to rush back to be involved in the Six Nations. 

The injuries that he has suffered have all been different between his knee, hip and now groin and Everitt called on his own experiences of coaching with The Sharks. when Pat Lambie got injured four tournaments in a row within the opening weeks of the campaign.

He doesn’t believe the Scotland star could have done anything different to change how the situation has gone for him.

He added: “He is a competitive human being so when he is out on the field, he gives everything that he can. How you see him play is how he trains during the week.

“They have been different injuries. When he came out of the World Cup he had to have an object removed from his knee. It is just unfortunate for him that it has been a string of injuries in a row, and sometimes players go through that.

“I can use Pat Lambie as an example. When I was coaching at the Sharks, Pat got injured four Super Rugby tournaments in a row within the first four weeks of the campaign, so that does happen.

“Fortunately for Darcy, these injuries are reparable and we will see him back to his best this season.

“It will be frustrating for Darcy. We know that he’s proud of the club he plays for and he loves having the opportunity to play for his country. 

“When he went down with that injury last week he was really training well and looking forward to being in contention against England so one can imagine the disappointment that he’s going through at the moment.

“But we’re also aware that in the game we’re in, these things happen, it's the nature of the sport. He accepts what needs to be done and he’ll be very relieved when he’s back to full fitness and doesn’t have to carry these niggles with him throughout the season.”