Leicester and England star Austin Healey faces an anxious wait to hear his fate for kicking an opponent when he faces an RFU disciplinary hearing tomorrow.

Healey faces an allegation - made by the independent citing officer - that he kicked Sale wing Anthony Elliott during a Premiership match last month.

If found guilty, the 42 times-capped Healey could face a six-week ban and see himself ruled out of England's Lloyds TSB Six Nations Championship opener against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 2.

Leicester have already taken internal disciplinary action, banning Healey for two weeks and fining him £1,000 in advance of tomorrow's Heathrow hearing.

The Tigers though, made a similar pre-emptive strike almost three years ago when Healey was cited by London Irish after stamping on Exiles scrum-half Kevin Putt, only to see Twickenham top brass increase it.

The RFU hit him with an eight-week ban, including a three-week Leicester suspension, which meant that he was sidelined for England's 1999 Five Nations campaign, apart from the final game, when he sat on the bench against Wales.

Similar action this time threatens to put Healey out of Saturday's important Heineken Cup clash at Llanelli, Leicester's Powergen Cup quarter-final against Harlequins seven days later and then a European quarter-final.

If Healey misses England's Murrayfield mission, then Ben Cohen appears an obvious wing replacement, but scrum-half cover for Kyran Bracken would not be as straightforward.

Healey, who has started Test matches at wing, scrum-half and fly-half, was primed for a switch of roles had Bracken been injured during autumn victories over Australia and South Africa.

But with Healey facing a possible KO, and Matt Dawson already absent through injury, then England boss Clive Woodward's number nine alternatives appear to lie in the uncapped direction of Nick Walshe, Hall Charlton or Harry Ellis.

It will be a busy day at Heathrow's Renaissance Hotel tomorrow, with a three-man RFU panel comprising of Jeff Blackett, Jeff Probyn and David Hurst hearing two other citing cases and a double sending-off.

Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam and Newcastle flanker Epi Taione were both dismissed for fighting during the clubs' controversial Premiership clash 11 days ago.

After the game, Newcastle rugby director Rob Andrew accused Azam of racial abuse against Tongan Taione, the fall-out from which is still continuing.

Panel chairman Blackett and his colleagues will deal with the contents of referee Roy Maybank's report only, with any racism inquiry set for a later date, depending on subsequent RFU investigations.

Azam will attend the hearing, accompanied by his solicitor John Partridge, Gloucester chief executive Ken Nottage and team manager Pete Glanville.

Also on the RFU agenda are Sale's England flanker Alex Sanderson and Northampton prop Matt Stewart, both players having been reported by the independent citing officer.

Sanderson is alleged to have spat at an opponent during Sale's defeat at Leicester, while Scottish international Stewart must answer a charge of kneeing and punching a London Irish player when Northampton beat the Exiles on December 29.