Riki Flutey a doubt for England
London Wasps and England centre Riki Flutey faces an anxious wait to see if a calf injury will keep him out of the autumn Test matches at the start of November.
Flutey had to be carried from the field by two men during Wasps' 37-10 defeat at the hands of Northampton. Flutey is one of the few players who is virtually guaranteed an England place because of his quality,
presence and power.
"Riki's pretty sore at the moment. It's an injury to the calf, quite high.
He'll be assessed by England when he goes into camp with them. Hopefully he won't be out for too long," said Wasps director of rugby Tony Hanks.
Flutey is a player that thrives on form and confidence. Both Wasps and England will have to work very hard to make sure he doesn't play prematurely and to make sure he
isn't mentally affected by this blow.
A big blow
The temptation for the England camp will be to patch Flutey up if there is a serious doubt over his participation for the first Test match on 6 November against New Zealand.
This is dangerous because it means a key player playing with a bad knock. This risks making the injury worse and would ultimately keep Flutey out of the game for longer.
The calf is an area of the body, which has to endure the most pressure during a game.
He's a player who has never kept his ambition to play for his country a secret. The chance to play the Kiwis, Australia and South Africa this autumn represented a chance
for Flutey to test himself. England and Wasps officials must step in to maintain the player's mental stability.
"These things can take a day or two before you learn how bad they are,
but he was definitely pretty sore," added Hanks.
Betting advice
England has a better chance of winning when Flutey is in the team. Watch his progress carefully over the next two weeks. It's likely he'll be replaced for the match with
New Zealand so back his replacement to thrive upon the opportunity.
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