Wasps boss hopeful over Fekitoa return

WASPS boss Lee Blackett is hopeful that influential Kiwi Malakai Fekitoa will be fit to return against Gloucester.

The former All Blacks centre was ruled out of the 16-10 home defeat to London Irish with a tight hamstring, just four games after returning from his 15-week groin injury lay-off.

With Paolo Odogwu away with England, Juan de Jongh filled the outside centre shirt as Wasps’ poor run of form extended to four losses in five games.

Wasps currently sit eighth in the table, two points better off than at this stage last season. The second half of the 2020/21 Gallagher Premiership campaign kicks off at the Ricoh Arena on Saturday when Gloucester are the visitors to the Ricoh Arena.

“I think he won’t be far off this week, if not next week, definitely the week after,” said Blackett. “We’re hoping we get him back for next week. We were hoping to get him fit for London Irish but he was struggling half way through the week. Hopefully if everything goes well he should be fit for next week.”

Wasps went into the Exiles match with just one of their four primary tight options available in Jeff Toomagaallen. Kieran Brookes (suspended), Biyi Alo (wrist) and Jack Owlett (Achilles) were out while versatile prop Simon Mcintyre is also out with a calf injury.

Blackett revealed he was hopeful Owlett, who joins Worcester this summer, would be fit for the match to compete with Toomaga-allen, but instead was forced into bringing in Nicky Thomas on loan from Ospreys.

The tighthead came on with three minutes remaining on Saturday.

“Hopefully he [Jack] should be back to fitness next week,” said Blackett. “We’ve been a little bit lucky with the fitness of the two tightheads [Brookes, Toomaga-allen].

“After last Saturday’s game we were hoping Jack wasn’t far away which would’ve given us three tightheads but, after the game, we made some phone calls and that’s how it came about and we got Nicky in pretty sharpish.”