COURTNEY LAWES will see a hand specialist after suffering a horrifying thumb injury last weekend while playing for Northampton.
The 33-year-old had to be withdrawn during the first-half as Northampton Saints fell 31-21 to Gloucester on Saturday.
Courtney Lawes receives treatment on this thumb on SaturdayRex
The 33-year-old was forced off during the first-half of his side’s clash with GloucesterGetty
Luckless Lawes, who suffered with concussion earlier this year, will now face a fitness race to be ready for his side’s season run-in – as well as England‘s trip to Australia this summer.
Explaining the injury, Saints director of rugby Chris Boyd said: “Courtney had a compound dislocation of his thumb.
“It was quite nasty. The bone actually came out, but it either popped back in or it was put back in and it has been irrigated and sewn back up again.
“He has still got some medical decisions to be made around the skeletal function of the thumb and the muscle and ligament situation.
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“Until we get a medical view, all I can clearly say is he won’t play on Saturday.
“He didn’t want to look at it because he knew it was going to be a bit challenging. He was disappointed.”
Further quizzed on when fans can expect to see Lawes back in action, Boyd, 63, added: “The hand specialist will come back and whatever he says will happen.
“He certainly needs specialist consultation to make a decision on what is the best course of action for him going forward.”
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Northampton currently sit fifth in the Premiership, with Lawes a key man.
The back row skippered England in their final three Six Nations matches this year, after shaking off his concussion woes.
Eddie Jones‘ side are set to play Australia three times Down Under in July, with clashes taking place in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney.
PALawes is now a doubt for England’s summer tour of Australia[/caption] Read More