Tuilagi injury worry for Tigers, England
MANU Tuilagi has been sidelined by yet another groin injury which will leave Leicester and England desperately hoping that recent history isn’t repeating itself.
The 28-year-old centre’s career has been blighted by injuries, especially in the groin area, to such an extent that he didn’t start a Test for four-and-a-half years, between June 2014 and last February.
After a protracted spell of full fitness, Tuilagi missed the Tigers’ clash with Harlequins at Twickenham five days ago, with the East Midlands club merely stating that he was “sitting out” the fixture.
Now, it has emerged that he has had a scan and is being assessed ahead of Bristol’s visit to Welford Road this weekend.
That Premiership match comes just four weeks before England open their Six Nations campaign against France in Paris, so any doubts about the state of Tuilagi’s groin will be worrying news for national coach Eddie Jones.
Leicester’s head coach, Geordan Murphy, provided an update, saying: “Manu had a tight groin – a high adductor – last week so we didn’t risk him. We’ll have another look at him this week. He ran yesterday but if it’s (cutting it) too fine for him, we won’t risk him.”
Asked if the new injury may be linked to previous ones, Murphy added: “No. I don’t believe so. We had a scan and nothing came up, he just felt tight. If he feels 100% today, he will be an option to play against Bristol, but if he’s got any niggling worries, we won’t rush him back.”