Immanuel Feyi-Waboso unlikely to need surgery on ankle injury, says Baxter

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is unlikely to need an operation on the ankle injury that ended his autumn with England, according to Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter.

The 23-year-old wing was forced off at half-time of England’s 45-22 win over Australia at Twickenham on Sunday. Baxter told BBC Sport that the Feyi-Waboso ankle injury may not be as serious as first feared, and he could play for Exeter again before the end of the year.

Feyi-Waboso ankle injury: surgery unlikely

Feyi-Waboso will see a surgeon on Thursday, who will review his scans before a detailed recovery plan is put in place. For now, Exeter and England are both leaning towards treating it without an operation.

“The balance of opinion at the moment, both from ourselves and England, is that he’s unlikely to require an operation,” Baxter told BBC Sport. It is a welcome change of tone after a worrying few days for club and country.

England confirmed on Monday that the wing would miss the rest of the November Tests, along with Tom Curry. Henry Pollock replaced him on the wing against the Wallabies and scored twice.

How long will Feyi-Waboso be out?

Baxter was careful not to put a firm date on a return, but suggested a high ankle sprain would usually mean several weeks out.

“If it’s a decent high ankle sprain, I think you’re talking a minimum of four to six weeks really, but obviously it’s just so difficult to know,” he said. A high ankle sprain damages the ligaments that bind the two lower leg bones together, and usually takes longer to heal than a standard ankle sprain.

Baxter also pointed out that Feyi-Waboso tends to heal quickly. “Manny’s the kind of guy, sometimes he might be running on this in a week’s time and then that changes the whole timescale, so it’s a little early to say yet,” he added.

A four to six week layoff would point to a return in mid-to-late December, as the club season picks up again after the international window. Baxter accepted it could take longer.

Exeter’s back-three injury crisis

The injury is the latest blow to an Exeter back three that has been hit hard this season:

• Campbell Ridl: out for most of the campaign with a knee ligament injury.
• Tommy Wyatt: still a month away from fitness after an ankle problem of his own.

There is some good news. Paul Brown-Bampoe, out since heel surgery in the summer, returned in Saturday’s 35-19 Prem Rugby Cup defeat by Bath at Sandy Park. That result led assistant coach James Wilson to warn of tough conversations after the Bath defeat.

Exeter have been forced to use centre Zack Wimbush out wide in recent weeks, and he scored a hat-trick against Toulouse, as covered in our piece on Wimbush and his England and Wales eligibility. Dallas McLeod has also joined the club after his summer move from New Zealand, adding more cover.

What comes next for Exeter

Baxter was philosophical about the run of bad luck. “That’s kind of how it happens, you’ve just got to get on with things,” he said. “We’ve just got to hope we get through this international period without any further injuries.”

He sees the Prem Rugby Cup as a chance to rebuild fitness. “We’re obviously getting more guys up and running and getting good game time into them through [this] Prem Cup period,” Baxter said.

“You’ve got to look on the positives of it, let’s hope this injury to Manny isn’t too bad and he can crack on in this period,” he added. “Hopefully, Paul (Brown-Bampoe) will get right up to speed. If we can get Manny back in that four to six week period, who knows, it might be longer, hopefully we can start to pull things together a bit there.”

Exeter travel to Sale Sharks in the Prem Rugby Cup on Friday 13 November, and Thursday’s meeting with the surgeon should give a clearer picture. Follow every update in our Exeter Chiefs news and across the Premiership Rugby hub.

Feyi-Waboso ankle injury: FAQs

Does Immanuel Feyi-Waboso need surgery?
Probably not. Rob Baxter says Exeter and England both believe he is unlikely to need an operation, and he sees a surgeon on Thursday.

How long will Feyi-Waboso be out?
Baxter suggested a minimum of four to six weeks if it is a significant high ankle sprain, which would point to a December return.

Will Feyi-Waboso play for England again this autumn?
No. England have ruled him out of the rest of the November Nations Championship Tests.