Immanuel Feyi-Waboso 'touch and go' for Exeter season opener; Henry Slade cleared
Hamstring setback leaves wing uncertain for Sept. 28 Northampton match while England centre returns from summer broken hand
Exeter Chiefs reported mixed injury news on Tuesday, with winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso described as "touch and go" for the start of the 2025-26 Premiership season after sustaining a hamstring problem, while centre Henry Slade has been cleared to play following a broken hand suffered during the summer.
The club confirmed Feyi-Waboso picked up the hamstring issue in Chiefs training late last week and entered an England training camp where his rehabilitation and fitness are being assessed. Slade, who left England's tour of Argentina and the United States early because of a broken hand, has returned to full fitness and is available for selection.
"Henry is now clear to play," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said. "He's away with England in the early part of this week in a training camp, but he is fit to play. Manny's kind of touch and go. He had a little bit of a minor hamstring issue right at the end of last week. He's gone into England camp and they're carrying on with his rehab and assessing him. He's touch and go for this weekend."
Feyi-Waboso, 22, has endured a disrupted 2024-25 and 2025 campaign. A shoulder injury sustained last December forced him out of the Six Nations and cost him a place on the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia. He returned to action in June but was sent off in a non-capped match against a France XV; a subsequent two-game ban ruled him out of England's July wins over Argentina before he featured for 80 minutes in the victory over the United States. He has played 113 minutes of rugby in the 2025 calendar year.
As a centrally contracted England player, Feyi-Waboso's medical management is shared between the Rugby Football Union and Exeter, a structure that previously prompted disagreement between the two parties over the handling of his shoulder injury and the decision to operate.
Exeter begin their Premiership season against Northampton on Sept. 28, a fixture that could come too soon for Feyi-Waboso if his hamstring does not respond to treatment. The Chiefs are seeking a stronger return to domestic competition after a troubled 2024-25 campaign in which they won four league games.
Baxter said the club remains hopeful of improvement this season but underlined the ongoing need to manage player welfare amid international commitments. Both Slade and Feyi-Waboso were part of an England training camp this week, with medical staff from the national setup continuing to monitor and support club rehabilitation programmes where required.
Exeter's squad plans for the opening weekend will be finalised after further assessments, with the club set to provide updates on Feyi-Waboso's availability in the days leading up to the Northampton fixture.