Louis Deacon: Leicester Tigers lock may have to retire

Louis Deacon made his England debut in 2005 and has won 29 England caps

Leicester Tigers chief executive Simon Cohen says there are concerns that lock Louis Deacon could be forced to retire because of a back injury.

The ex-England international, 33, has not played this season and has been plagued by injury in the recent years.

Cohen told BBC Radio Leicester's Tigers Rugby Show: "There is the possibility he won't come back but you hope not.

"Louis has been a great servant of this club and the important thing is we safeguard his future."

Deacon made his Tigers debut in 2000 and has played 274 games for Tigers, as well as winning 29 international caps.

Cohen added: "He has put his body on the line for an awful long time and that has clearly taken a bit of a toll.

"What you want to ensure above everything is that he spends the rest of life without worrying about his back when he goes upstairs, lays down or sits down.

"We will take our time and he will take his time understanding the prognosis before he makes a decision."

Cohen said the Tigers' lengthy injury list means they are looking to strengthen their squad as soon as possible.

"In the second row we will try to being somebody in, at least on loan, in the very near future," Cohen said. "That is the main area we are focusing on. We are talking to one or two in the UK."