Tom Curry: England flanker has stem-cell therapy in bid to make 2027 World Cup
Stem cells can help repair damaged body tissue, although it is a relatively new form of treatment.
Sanderson expects Curry to return around Christmas and said he has sought advice from England manager Steve Borthwick as he works out how to manage his players for the remainder of the season.
“We made some plans, stem cell surgery was a part of it, and then looked at the rest of the season,” Sanderson said.
“Steve Borthwick has looked at (the plans) and is 100 per cent behind it. We want to get him to the World Cup without another surgery.”
An England player is limited to 30 games in a season, but given Curry’s injury history and his steady style of play, Sanderson said he wouldn’t let him get anywhere near that limit.
“He will play about 23 games, 16 of which will be our games,” he added.
“There are other national team players. So we have solved all the issues so we are not forcing him to play a maximum of 30 games.
“Considering he has a chronic injury, he’s handling it well, but the more he plays, the shorter his shelf life becomes.
“The rule we usually follow is three games a game, or two games a game. I don’t think it’s wise (to increase his game count to 30 games).”
Currie started England’s games against New Zealand and Australia in the autumn but was knocked unconscious against the Wallabies, meaning he was unable to attend the visit of world champions South Africa.
However, he returned to the starting lineup in the win over Japan, a choice that was widely questioned.
