Premiership be warned...Billy Vunipola is on the verge of Saracens return

Saracens have revealed that England Number 8 Billy Vunipola could be set for return to competition return this weekend.

The England international has been absent for a long period with a broken arm and recently returned to full training.

Speaking on Saracens.com, Director of Rugby Mark McCall is eager to give the 25-year-old some game time before the Aviva Premiership play-offs and "a final call will be made shortly before the team is announced for Sunday’s clash against London Irish."

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“We’ll make a decision on Friday as to whether he’s involved this weekend or whether we give him until next weekend,” McCall said.

“He’s close but hasn’t had a lot of field sessions and (Wednesday) was probably his toughest session so we’ll see how he reacts and make a decision Friday.

“It’s been almost 16 weeks that he’s been out and we just need to be careful to put him into a rugby match without playing much rugby; although he’s been out for that long, he was out for quite a long time with his previous injury and he doesn’t really have a bank of games behind him this year. I think he’s only played three full matches.

“It would be useful for him to have a couple of games before the semi-final for him to get back to somewhere near his best. The more game time he can get the better for Billy.”

There is better news for Vincent Koch who ‘should be fine’ for the trip to the Madejski while Michael Rhodes came through the Bath win unscathed.

Will Skelton (broken arm) may be available for Sarries’ final game of the regular season against Gloucester, but Calum Clark (broken arm) is still a few more weeks away.