Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, the England winger, faces a daunting recovery after undergoing surgery for a facial injury sustained during Exeter's recent match against Leicester. The injury occurred in the 52nd minute when he made a decisive tackle on Ollie Hassell-Collins, leading to a swollen jaw that ultimately required an operation on Wednesday.

Due to this setback, Feyi-Waboso is confirmed to miss Exeter's pivotal final regular-season game against Saracens on Saturday. This match is crucial for Saracens, as a win would secure their spot in the end-of-season play-offs, potentially at the expense of Exeter.

Despite the surgery, England's medical team expresses optimism about Feyi-Waboso's recovery, aiming for him to be fit for their encounter with South Africa on July 4. However, there is a significant risk that he may enter that high-stakes match without any competitive game-time for over a month.

In the event that Exeter fails to reach the Prem final, it is unlikely that the England squad will risk Feyi-Waboso in a warm-up match against a France XV on June 18.

Following the clash with the Springboks, England's summer schedule includes:

• Fiji in Liverpool on July 11
• Argentina in Santiago del Estero on July 18

This injury marks the second major disruption for Feyi-Waboso this year, having previously missed the Six Nations due to a hamstring injury sustained during training in February.