England medical team to overrule Exeter on Feyi-Waboso's hamstring return date

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will undergo a further scan on his hamstring injury this weekend, with England’s medical team holding the final say on when the winger returns to action — a situation Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has openly acknowledged ahead of his side’s trip to Bristol Bears on Saturday.

Feyi-Waboso picked up the injury against Newcastle Red Bulls a fortnight ago and will miss the Bristol fixture. Baxter says he is pleased with the 22-year-old’s progress and is hopeful he could feature against Harlequins the following weekend, but England, who hold an enhanced playing contract with the winger and are preparing to face Australia in the Nations Championship, are taking a more cautious approach.

“I think we’re really pleased with his progress. England are probably a little bit more safety-first about it, so that’s just where we are,” Baxter said. “England’s physios are down here on a regular basis working with Jamie Fulton, our head physio. He’s progressing along; he’s running around pretty well at decent speed. He’s going to have a re-scan at the weekend, and that will help make the next decision on where things go next week.”

The injury adds to a growing list of back-three concerns at Sandy Park. Tommy Wyatt, who had only recently returned from back-to-back ACL injuries, is now facing time on the sidelines after sustaining an ankle injury against Toulouse in the Champions Cup.

Baxter confirmed the ankle problem is more serious than initially hoped, though surgery does not appear to be required. “He’s done a decent job. There are a few ligaments strained and pulled and bits there, but I think the initial prognosis is it’s not operable,” he said. “So he should be back either late in the PREM Cup period or as we get back into the Premiership, hopefully, if things go well.”

Baxter did not hide his frustration at the cluster of misfortune in that area of the squad. “It was another significant injury to a back-three player, which we seem to be stacking up pretty quickly,” he added.