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USC Trojans Football: Robert Woods Will Miss Rest Of Spring Practice

Woods has been bothered by his surgically repaired ankle in recent weeks.

By Scott Coleman
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The USC Trojans are working very hard for a national championship in 2012. While the team will continue to participate in spring practice, they will be without star wide receiver Robert Woods. The junior receiver is still battling the lingering effects of his surgically repaired right ankle and discovered inflammation after undergoing an MRI this week. Fortunately for the Trojans, there is no structural damage, which means he should be cleared to workout in the summer months.

FOX Sports West had the latest update:

"After continuing evaluations with Robert, we thought he would be almost full strength by now, doing everything, and he's kind of had a setback, it's not healing as fast (as team officials thought), and so our doctors recommend that (we) really sit him to make sure that it heals," USC head coach Lane Kiffin said.

"We were running him on the side so much and doing some individuals that it wasn't really healing. So let's see if we can get the thing completely healed and get that limp out of there so he can be full speed."

Woods was expected to be ready in time for the start of spring practice. It was then thought that he would be able to return Tuesday after the Trojans returned from spring break, but Kiffin scheduled another MRI for Woods over the break which revealed the news.

The Trojans are going to need a healthy Woods if they hope to have any chance next season and it would seem foolish to risk further injury this spring. Instead, the speedy receiver can spend his time getting completely healthy and motivated to tear apart Pac-12 defenses in 2012.

"It's pretty disappointing, because every day I'm out here I want to be out here with the guys," Woods said. "I kind of look at it as a positive, too. I can finally get healthy. No need to rush back. I'm just trying to look at it like my freshmen year, (when) I didn't have spring (practice) coming (into the season)."

For more on Woods and the USC Trojans, be sure to visit Conquest Chronicles.