MANU TUILAGI WILL start the new year back on the sidelines again after injuring his hamstring while playing for Leicester over Christmas.
The Samoan-born centre limped off midway through the second half of the Tigers’ 32-13 win over the Worcester Warriors on 27 December and has been ruled out for the next four to six weeks.
This latest blow means that Tuilagi, who had only just returned from a six-week lay-off with a broken cheekbone, will definitely miss Leicester’s final Heineken Cup pool games, including the top of the table clash against Ulster in Ravenhill next Friday.
He now faces a race against time if he is to be ready for England’s Six Nations opener against Scotland on 4 February and may still be a doubt for the game against Italy the following week.
“Manu will be out for four to six weeks,” Leicester’s director of rugby Richard Cockerill said (see ESPNScrum). “It may be a month depending on how his rehab goes.”
