Chiefs await news on Nowell

By Mark Stevens

Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter says the club are still waiting on scan results to ascertain the full extent of an injury to winger Jack Nowell.

The 20-year-old England international was forced to come off at half-time during last Sunday's Aviva Premiership defeat at Leicester Tigers with a shoulder injury sustained following a collision with home prop Logovii Mulipola.

Baxter confirmed in his weekly media briefly that the club's medical team have been monitoring closely Nowell's condition and that the Cornishman has been sent for a full assessment this week.

With Gloucester due to arrive at Sandy Park this Saturday for a crunch top flight encounter, Baxter has admitted it's unlikely the talented back will be fit for duty.

"We're having some scans and some work done on his shoulder just to assess the damage," said Nowell, who recently made his England debut in the Six Nations loss to France and then started all five of their matches in the tournament.

"Obviously we're hoping it's not too serious. Nothing particularly has shown up yet but it looks a doubt that he'll be fit for this weekend.

"We haven't found any muscle tears or whatever yet, but he has to have another set of scans to assess fully what's going on around his shoulder and neck.

"We've got a week off next week, and by the time we get to the end of next week we'll know exactly where we are with him."