England
Fresh concerns over Tuilagi fitness
ESPN Staff
January 19, 2015
England's Manu Tuilagi reacts to defeat,  New Zealand v England, 2nd Test, Dunedin, June 14, 2014
Manu Tuilagi's groin injury is proving difficult to shake © AP
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Fresh from the news of Courtney Lawes' ankle injury, England's coaching team have been dealt a further blow with the news that Manu Tuilagi's groin injury will sideline him for longer than anticipated.

Stuart Lancaster names his squad for the Six Nations on Wednesday but he's likely to have to wait until the middle of the competition at the earliest to play Tuilagi, England's most dangerous backs in recent years.

Leicester had originally hoped Tuilagi would return from the injury before Christmas but he now won't play again until mid-February at the earliest, even after that return date was put back a both. Leicester coach Richard Cockerill is quoted in The Times as saying "We are hoping he might play next week, again", with a healthy dose of cynicism and sarcasm, after his team beat Scarlets on Friday night.

Discussing his recovery, Tuilagi said: "It's slow. I had three prolotherapy injections - sugar - to try to bring the pubis back together. It's slow but it's getting there. No one's really sure how long it's going to take. When it first happened even the doctor said it would be six to eight weeks."

That period has already elapsed and now 23-year-old Tuilagi is prepared to wait until the right moment to make his return.

"I'm not sure. With this you have to just take it day by day and make sure it's better before you try to come back," he said. There are good days and bad days. Some days it feels brilliant and you wake up the next day and it doesn't feel so good.

"[The end of February is] ideal but I have to get this right. It's not like a sprained ankle where you can strap up and get on with it. I have to make sure that, if I need to take another week or two, I'll take it.

"The World Cup is in the back of your mind. But for me I'm not worried about anything else but trying to get fit and then playing for Leicester and hopefully for England."

The news does Lancaster no favours as he attempts to uncover his first-choice centre pairing, a long-term problem for England. Luther Burrell is likely to start against Wales in Cardiff on February 6, with Brad Barritt, Billy Twelvetress, Kyle Eastmond and Jonathan Joseph all vying to join him. The latter pair were in simply sparkling form for Bath in their memorable win over Toulouse on Sunday.

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