England wing Marland Yarde is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after dislocating his kneecap in Sale’s win against Newcastle.
Yarde, 26, who sustained the injury while slipping during a tackle, is expected to be out of action for a minimum of six months in a blow to both club and country.
Yarde last played for England in 2017, but will now almost certainly be unavailable for selection for the upcoming autumn internationals starting in November.
He posted on social media: “Obviously devastated with what’s happened and dislocating my knee but will stay positive until I know the full extent of what I have damaged.”
Yarde is joined on the injury list by fellow England back Jonny May, who suffered a blow to his shoulder after just seven minutes of Leicester’s victory against Northampton at Twickenham on Saturday.
A shining light for England during this summer’s tour of South Africa, May left the Twickenham pitch with his arm in a temporary sling and was later seen sporting an ice pack on his shoulder following a collision with Saints forward Teimana Harrison.
In better news for England head coach Eddie Jones, though, Leicester’s director of rugby, Geordan Murphy, revealed after the game that he expects May to be fit for next month’s internationals.
“He got a bang directly on the point of his shoulder and it was sore rather than severe,” Murphy said. “It is the sort of injury where sometimes you can strap him up and play, or it takes a few weeks. We have to wait.”
England face South Africa, New Zealand, Japan and Australia at home in November as they step up preparations for the 2019 World Cup in Japan.