New England coach Eddie Jones has been dealt a double blow with the news that Henry Slade and Alex Corbisiero could both miss the RBS 6 Nations.
Exeter midfielder Slade suffered a suspected broken leg during his side’s Premiership clash with Wasps and will undergo an operation on the lower part of his leg.
While the exact nature of the injury has not been specified, it seems unlikely that he could return before the RBS 6 Nations, having made his England debut in the summer.
Exeter coach Rob Baxter said on Sunday morning: “Henry has an injury to the lower part of his right leg and it is envisaged he will be operated on sometime today.
“At the moment we have set no time scale on how long he will be sidelined for. A more detailed assessment will be made following the operation.”
Meanwhile Northampton prop Corbisiero is also in danger of missing the tournament after it was decided that he needed an operation on a knee injury.
The 27-year-old was part of the England team that won the 2011 RBS 6 Nations but has been hampered by injuries in recent seasons and has not featured in the tournament since 2012, while his last England start came later that year.
Club boss Jim Mallinder admitted that the RBS 6 Nations is at the back of Corbisiero’s mind, but played down the severity of the problem.
“It is not a major operation, more a clean-out,” he said.
“We do not know how long he will be out for, but it will certainly be a few weeks. It is not good, but he is being positive and so are we.”
Click here for the 2016 RBS 6 Nations fixtures
