Centre of attention: Riders likely facing long stretch without Clark

The Saskatchewan Roughriders will be without their longest-serving player for a while.

Centre Dan Clark suffered a leg injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 26-16 CFL win over the Edmonton Elks.

The 34-year-old Regina product updated his status on social media Monday afternoon, saying he broke his fibula and shifted his ankle bone. He had surgery Sunday afternoon.

Any recommendations for the softest sponges for a sponge bath? pic.twitter.com/Om6WRIOUcQ

— Dan Clark (@DanClark67) June 20, 2022

Clark’s right ankle was rolled on by Elks linebacker Brady Sheldon as the defender tried to tackle Riders running back Jamal Morrow. Clark was carted off the field.

980 CJME reached out to the team for an update on Clark but didn’t receive a response by the time of publication. Clark’s social media post addressed the injury later in the day.

“It’s detrimental to the team (and) team morale and sours the win a little bit, and I know Dan would hate that I said that,” quarterback Cody Fajardo said following the game. “We’re really going to hurt from this one and hopefully we get some good news, but I’m not sure it’s looking too great.

“He’s a guy who has won Grey Cups, a total locker room guy. Morale is always up around him and he is always smiling and joking around. Schematically and football-wise, he always puts us in the right protection.”

“You hate to see a comrade go down and you saw the reaction from the team. When he was hurt, the whole team came out,”

Riders head coach Craig Dickenson agreed.

“He’s got a lot of respect and a lot of love from our team,” Dickenson said after the game. “They were sorry to see a guy they have so much respect for go down.”

Clark has been with the Riders since he came into the CFL in 2009 as a territorial junior. The former Regina Thunder player appeared in his first game for the Roughriders in 2012 and has appeared in 127 career games.

Clark was named a CFL all-star in 2019 and was the team’s nominee for the league award as most outstanding offensive lineman.

Guard Logan Ferland is one possibility to replace Clark as the Roughriders’ starting centre in Thursday’s game against the host Montreal Alouettes. Ferland started at centre in Saskatchewan’s regular-season finale against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2021.

Evan Johnson and Logan Bandy also are candidates for the job. Johnson is a starting guard, while Bandy has been the team’s sixth offensive lineman in games this season.