Feyi-Waboso 'touch and go' for start of season

Immanuel Feyi-Waboso has played twice in 2025 for England - but has yet to play for Exeter this year

England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is "touch and go" to make his return for Exeter in time for the start of the Premiership Rugby season.

The 22-year-old has not played for his club since 21 December after dislocating his shoulder against Sale.

But he has suffered a hamstring injury during pre-season and has not taken part in England's training camp this week.

The winger had surgery in February after re-injuring his shoulder while training with the national side ahead of the Six Nations.

The injury led to friction between Exeter and England - the national side have the final say on centrally contracted players such as Feyi-Waboso - after the Chiefs had hoped he would be operated on in early January.

Fellow England player Henry Slade is back to fitness after injuring his hand while on tour to Argentina in July.

"Manny stayed in the England tour right to the end and then obviously after his five weeks off he's had relatively little pre-season time with us and we have changed a fair a bit around our calling structure and the way we play attack-wise," Baxter told BBC Sport.

"He's going to probably be more of a challenge than Henry who, even though he's not been able to do full contact with his hand, he's actually been in for quite a long period of pre-season because obviously he left the England tour early.

"So he's probably more up to speed with how we want to play, what we want to do. He's had more days on the training field with us so Henry's probably easier to fit in than Manny.

"But at the same time, as most people would probably know, Manny's strengths are probably not what he does in a system or a structure, it's just what he does one on one and the things he can make happen."

Fisilau and Jenkins fitness boost

Greg Fisilau scored seven tries for Exeter last season

However, Baxter says forwards Dafydd Jenkins and Greg Fisilau are close to a comeback after returning from injuries.

Wales lock and Exeter skipper Jenkins, 22, had back surgery at the end of last season while England 'A' forward Fisilau, 22, suffered a season-ending shoulder problem in May.

"They were very important players for us the last couple of seasons," said Baxter.

"Greg in a lot of ways was probably player of the year last year - him and Paul Brown-Bampoe I thought really stood up what was a fairly average year for the club.

"The lads have worked very, very hard in rehab. We've seen them on the pitch doing tough running sessions, tough gym sessions, tough bike sessions, so they've got fitness but they haven't done a lot of live scrum, live maul, the kind of nitty-gritty work that a lot of the other forwards have done.

"I thought our forward work at the weekend against Gloucester was one of the best parts of the display and how we fit them in and the timing of that is going to be something we have to work on but it's fantastic having them in full training and hopefully available to play next week."