England and Exeter hit by another Feyi-Waboso setback

England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso faces a race to be fit for the start of the PREM Rugby season after suffering a setback in training with Exeter Chiefs last week.

Chiefs boss Rob Baxter says that Feyi-Waboso, 22, who is doing rehab work with England this week, is “touch and go” to be fit for the first game of the season against Northampton Saints after sustaining a hamstring injury in training.

Baxter admits that they do not yet know how serious the injury is, but it is another blow for the speedster, who has not played a club game since suffering a shoulder injury against Sale Sharks before Christmas.

However, some good news for the Chiefs, who lost their PREM Rugby Cup opener against Gloucester last Friday, is that Henry Slade will be fit for the trip to Premiership champions Bath this weekend.

Slade, who is training with Steve Borthwick’s squad this week, required an operation on a hand injury he sustained during England’s tour to Argentina and the United States.

“Manny stayed in the England tour right to the end, and then obviously after his five weeks off, he’s had relatively little pre-season time with us, and we have changed quite a bit around our calling structure and the way we attack,” said Baxter.

“He’s probably going to be more of a challenge than Henry, who, despite not being able to do full contact with his hand, has been involved in quite a lot of pre-season because he left the England tour early.

“So he’s likely more up to speed with how we want to play and what we aim to do. He’s had more days on the training field with us, so Henry’s probably easier to integrate than Manny.

“But at the same time, as most people would probably know, Manny’s strengths are not really what he does in a system or a structure; it’s just his one-on-one skills and the things he can make happen.”

Meanwhile, Baxter stated that Dafydd Jenkins and Greg Fisilau are both nearing returns after a back operation and a shoulder injury, respectively.