Dr Peter Larkins says signs aren’t good for Richmond recruit Chris Yarran

Richmond recruit Chris Yarran has been called into question over his lack of fitness and body condition.

The former Carlton livewire has been battling calf and fitness issues since joining the Tigers, with the club confirming he was likely to miss the first third of season 2016.

Richmond gave up pick 19 in last year’s draft for the talented speedster, but Yarran is yet to join his new teammates in full training.

He cut a forlorn figure at Punt Road on Wednesday and football’s leading medical voice, Dr Peter Larkins, told 3AW it wasn’t a good sign.

‘Hamstring or calf injuries in January or February are an absolute no-no, in terms of where it takes you for the rest of the year,’ he said on Sports Today.

And while his calf injury has understandably curbed Yarran’s ability to run, Dr Larkins said it was no real excuse to be in poor shape.

‘If you have a soft tissue injury that means you can’t run, you have to really work hard to maintain skinfolds and cardiovascular fitness in other ways,’ he explained.

‘That’s been traditionally available to players for a long time.’

Click PLAY below to hear the latest on Chris Yarran