Lions coach Gatland planning to lose six to 10 players after Vunipola withdrawal

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland insists he is fully prepared to deal with several further injury blows after Billy Vunipola pulled out of the upcoming tour to New Zealand.

England number eight Vunipola, who had been viewed as a key figure for the Lions, will not face the All Blacks due to a shoulder problem that requires further treatment.

James Haskell has replaced the Saracens man in Gatland’s 41-man squad and the Lions coach is sure more changes in personnel will be forced upon him in the weeks ahead.

“No doubt there could be a couple more next week,” Gatland, whose team fly out on Monday, was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

“We plan to lose six to 10 players; that’s just the attrition rate of past tours. Any player who gets injured at this time is a big loss to the squad because you spend a lot of time going through the process of picking [specific] players.”

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Gatland attempted to change the mind of Vunipola after the powerful back-row forward withdrew his name from consideration.

“I did try and persuade him to come over and be assessed but he was adamant he wasn’t right,” Gatland explained.

“He is a big loss to us but I fully respect the decision he’s made not to go on the tour. He spoke to his family and they felt he was making the right decision.

“I think it was pretty tough for him. He’s had this ongoing shoulder problem for the last five to six months. We knew he was being managed by Saracens and it needed an operation which was potentially going to be done this summer.

“It had been popping out during games so you’ve got to respect his decision. I wasn’t going to push him. He’s got to be in the right mental frame of mind … we just have to move on.”

On Haskell, Vunipola’s replacement, Gatland added: “He said: ‘I’ll carry the bags if needs be’. That’s the kind of person he is.

“It’s not just about your rugby ability. It’s about how you handle being in the squad. Some people are used to being number one for their nations. On this tour they might have to accept they’re number two.

“He’ll be great for us… a really positive addition. He’s also had experience of touring and playing in New Zealand. That’s reasonably significant.”