Henry Slade To Miss Beginning of Season Following Surgery

Exeter Chiefs and England centre Henry Slade will miss the beginning of the 2024/25 season following surgery for a shoulder injury.

Director of Rugby, Rob Baxter gave an update on the injury and the probable recovery period that his veteran player will face.

“Henry picked up a shoulder injury during the Guinness Six Nations playing for England earlier this year. The joint was stable, so Henry was able to play through the rest of the competition and resume playing with us through to the end of the 2023/24 season.

“We were aware that there was a slight issue, as were England, and it has slightly worsened throughout the Summer Tour. After having the shoulder re-scanned and checking in with how Henry feels about his shoulder, we’ve made the decision that now is the right time to have the operation.

“Hopefully he can use this down period to complete a strong rehab stint before we get back into rugby.

“It’s a relatively complex operation which, at this stage, makes it a little difficult to talk about his return to play time. It is likely to be in the three-to-four-month range so unfortunately, he is going to miss a good chunk of the start of the season with us.

“History has taught us plenty of times that Henry is an incredibly good rehabber. He will return very fit, as he’s been on great form for club and country. Although this is unfortunate, we know he’s going to work very hard, and I predict he will still have a very big impact on next season both for us and for England.”