The Newcastle and England fly-half – surprise, surprise – is injured again.

His latest piece of bad luck is a dislocated knee, sustained in Newcastle's clash with Gloucester earlier in the week, that will rule him out for a number of weeks.

The sad thing is, another Wilkinson injury will hardly come as earth-shattering news to anybody given that he has plenty of previous form in the matter.

Since that unforgettable drop goal in Sydney nearly five years ago, Wilkinson has suffered an incredible 14 different injuries ranging from a shoulder strain to a damaged kidney and a twisted ankle to knee damage.

It is enough to make you forget all about the laughing and just break down in tears.

That he keeps coming back is testament to his ability as a rugby player and his strength of character.

Either that or he is simply glutton for punishment.

Wilkinson is either blessed with very, very bad luck or his physique simply
can't cope with the demands being placed on it.

Injuries on a rugby field, given the overtly physical nature of the game, are par for the course but it can't be just bad luck that Wilkinson has had such a desperate run of time on the sidelines.

While the two sports are a long way apart in terms of the demands that are placed on the body, Wilkinson's situation reminds me of Darren Cousins who used to open the bowling for Northants.

Cousins came back from injury to restart his career at the County Ground after a spell at Essex but had to retire prematurely following serious damage to his feet and ankles caused by the constant pounding of the joints on concrete-hard pitches.

As with Wilkinson, there was no doubting Cousins' effort on the field or commitment to the cause.

In fact, his willingness to run in all day, every day probably did him no favours whatsoever.

When he was forced to knock the game on the head after another comeback it was a pity because no-one likes to see a players' career cut short because of the failings of their body.

Cousins didn't have anywhere near the profile of Wilkinson but the signs are the same.

Wilkinson will no doubt come back and excel for a time but, with a body that seems unable to cope with the role it's expected to play, the premature curtailing of a career looks almost inevitable.