ADRIAN Skeggs has ruled out a rapid Worcester first-team comeback for Andy Higgins and could keep the player out for the rest of the season.

The director of rugby at Sixways has been nursing the 19-year-old back into training this month after he made his comeback from his injury nightmare.

The centre has been sidelined since he went under the knife to remedy a trouble-some wrist injury and his comeback was put back further in January when he was hurt in a car accident.

However, despite returning to training with the first-team squad and an expected playing comeback at the end of March with the Warriors, Skeggs will not rush Higgins back into the spotlight.

He said: "I don't think Andy Higgins is in the equation until possibly next season. It is a crucial time for the club at the moment and we risk breaking continuity if we make changes now.

"We have the guys to do it for us at the moment with Scott Barrow and Rudi Keil. If one of them gets injured then I would look at Alistair Murdoch to come back at centre."

Skeggs is not convinced Higgins will be ready for a first-team return until next season despite the fact that the player is out of contract in the summer and may quit the club. The Australian is determined not put Higgins back in the line-up too soon and is prepared to risk his frustration in a bid to get the player right.

"I'd love to play him because he's a good player and he is very hungry to come back after a frustrating number of months. However, he's still not right. He still holds his hand and at the moment he is not ready for the contact stuff. He's 50-50 whether he's going to tackle or not and when you are like that you've got to be 100 per cent otherwise, at any level of rugby you play, they will eat you alive."