England's Manu Tuilagi set for latest injury comeback

Manu Tuilagi will make his latest comeback from injury as a replacement when Sale host Saracens in Friday night’s Gallagher Premiership clash at the AJ Bell Stadium.

Tuilagi was picked at inside centre to face Wales in round three of England’s Guinness Six Nations on February 26 only to be withdrawn hours later because of a hamstring injury.

It was set to be his first international appearance since the autumn when he damaged the same hamstring while scoring a try against South Africa and he has not played since.

Eddie Jones called the powerful centre into their Six Nations squad after he completed just 81 minutes of rugby for Sale, whose director of rugby Alex Sanderson believes he was rushed back too soon.

It was the demands of England training that caused the latest setback in a career beset by injury but the Sharks hope he will now stay fit as they look to reach the latter stages of the Premiership and Heineken Champions Cup.

Tuilagi’s destructive carrying in midfield has been missed by club and country with Jones to date unable to find an alternative capable of getting the team on to the front foot through force.

SALE SHARKS: 15.James (L); 14.Roebuck, 13.James (S), 12.JV Rensburg, 11.Reed; 10.Du Preez (R), 9.De Klerk; 1.Rodd, 2.Ashman, 3.Oosthuizen, 4.Wiese, 5.De Jager, 6.Ross, 7.Curry (B), 8.Du Preez (D)

REPLACEMENTS: 16. VD Merwe, 17.McIntyre, 18.Schonert, 19.Du Preez (JP), 20.Taylor, 21.Quirke, 22.Tuilagi, 23.Metcalf.