Northampton's Davison targets October return after three knee operations and Texas rehab

England tighthead Trevor Davison is targeting an October comeback for Northampton Saints after undergoing three operations on a knee injury suffered during the Gallagher Premiership win over Saracens at the end of March, head coach Phil Dowson has confirmed.

Davison, 34 and capped eight times by England, was sent to Texas by the club to work with a specialist as part of his extended rehabilitation. Dowson described the trip as beneficial, noting that it gave the prop a change of environment beyond the gym walls in Northampton.

“Trevor will hopefully be back some time in October, that’s the target,” Dowson said. “With the long-term injured guys, things move pretty quickly. So, depending on how he feels, if he gets back into his running and movement stuff and his scrummaging stuff — hopefully some time in October, but we’re not going to rush that, and we never do.”

Davison is currently running with the club’s physiotherapists and has been reintroduced to some skill elements, with the medical staff holding the final say on when his workload can be stepped up.

“He’s running with the physios. He’s getting involved with some skill elements. So he’s not too far away,” Dowson added. “It has been a frustrating time for Trev, but he’s been exceptional in terms of dealing with it and his application to his rehab and the process he’s gone through.”

Dowson was emphatic that the decision on Davison’s return will rest entirely with the medical team rather than any coaching instinct. “The one thing I don’t want to do is bring him back too soon or get him doing something just on a hunch from my point of view. These guys have trained for it, so they make the decision, and I get to manage him accordingly.”

If Davison does return in October as planned, he would be available for a significant portion of Northampton’s Premiership campaign, with the Saints looking to build on their recent form.