Bristol's MacGinty out for four months with knee injury

Bristol Bears fly-half AJ MacGinty is to miss the next four months with a knee injury that has required surgery.

The United States international went off after 28 minutes during Bristol's record-breaking victory against Leicester Tigers last weekend.

The number 10 is the leading points scorer in the Premiership prior to round nine of league games, with 81 points.

"He jarred his knee while making a tackle," Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam told BBC Radio Bristol on Monday, prior to the length of lay-off being confirmed.

MacGinty is Bristol's only specialist fly-half on their 39-player first-team squad this season, and was one of 10 new contracts announced by the club on Monday.

The Bears also lost back Max Malins - who is their second choice at fly-half - for the rest of the season to an Achilles injury last week.

Academy player Sam Worsley started Friday's match against Sale, while centre James Williams, who can also play at 10, returned from a pectoral injury to the replacements bench that has kept him out since early October.

However, Lam said he was exploring options to bolster the position in the squad.

"After that [Worsley and Williams] we're down to makeshift people like Benhard [Janse van Rensburg] which we don't want to have to use, so we are looking around at the minute," he said.

"We have to prepare because the games are coming thick and fast and don't stop to mid-February."