Adams and Faletau set to miss Wales' autumn games

Taulupe Faletau and Josh Adams were both part of Wales' 2023 World Cup squad

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt expects Wales pair Josh Adams and Taulupe Faletau to miss the international series next month.

Number eight Faletau, 33, and wing Adams, 29, were absent for Wales' summer tour of Australia and have missed Cardiff's opening four games in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season.

Faletau has not played since April because of a broken shoulder, while Adams has been suffering from a knee problem.

The duo will not be involved in Cardiff's games against Edinburgh on Saturday or against Ulster at the Arms Park on 26 October.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland is scheduled to name his squad on 21 October for the autumn campaign, which begins against Fiji on Sunday, 10 November.

Wales play Australia seven days later and tackle world champions South Africa on Saturday, 23 November.

Sherratt says the three-match Test schedule is set to come too soon for British and Irish Lions Faletau and Adams, with both expected to return to action for Cardiff against Dragons on 30 November.

"As I said before, as they've been long-term, I'd rather not get them back for a week. I'd rather them be a week too late," said Sherratt.

"The autumn period gives them a good lead-in to the Dragons game."

Wales injury concerns

Sherratt has not ruled out the idea of Adams and Faletau being called in by Wales for training purposes.

"There's been good dialogue with our medics and the WRU (Welsh Rugby Union) medics," said Sherratt.

"I'm not saying they're going to be announced in the squad, because I genuinely don't know. But they will probably go in and be part of the camp.

"Obviously the Wales coaches see them as a big part of the squad so they may go in and train. But I'm expecting their first game back to be against the Dragons."

Exeter lock Dafydd Jenkins and Dragons hooker Elliot Dee will miss the autumn series through injury, while Scarlets scrum-half Gareth Davies has just announced his international retirement.

Dragons number eight Aaron Wainwright is hoping to recover from a hamstring injury suffered against Australia in July to take his place.

Evan Lloyd is back in training and in contention to play Edinburgh but fellow Cardiff hooker Efan Daniel has picked up a knee injury that is set to rule him out until December.

Cardiff's Wales back-row duo Alex Mann and Thomas Young are in line to play this weekend for the first time this season.