Statement: England winger Ollie Sleightholme ruled out
Yesterday at 03:18 PM
Ollie Sleightholme, the 24-year-old Northampton Saints flyer, is set to miss a large chunk of the remaining season after undergoing minor surgery on his left ankle.
The injury, which occurred during England training in a collision with clubmate Fraser Dingwall, has left Saints' Director of Rugby Phil Dowson frustrated as he admitted Sleightholme is out for "a minimum of eight weeks."
What happened?
Sleightholme, who started three games for England in the Six Nations — including the nail-biting wins over France and Scotland, and the dominant 47-24 victory over Italy — shared a lighthearted Instagram post from his hospital bed. "I rolled too far… be back soon," he wrote, but the reality is a bit less amusing for Saints fans.
When could he return?
If all goes well, Sleightholme could make his return for the round 17 clash against Saracens or the round 18 trip to Gloucester. However, with Northampton currently languishing nine points off the play-off spots, any involvement beyond that looks increasingly unlikely.
Didn't feature vs. Wales – now we know why
Fans were surprised when Sleightholme was left out of England's matchday squad for the Six Nations finale against Wales. The mystery has now been solved, with Dowson explaining that the injury happened in the final training session before the game.
Furbank edging closer to return
On a brighter note for Saints, George Furbank is "not too far away" from making his return after recovering from a broken arm. Dowson confirmed that the versatile back is taking part in light training, offering a glimmer of hope for Northampton's run-in.
Did You Know?
- Ollie Sleightholme is the son of former England winger Jon Sleightholme, who also played for Northampton Saints.
- He clocked a top speed of 22.9 mph in a Premiership match last season, making him one of the fastest players in the league.
- Sleightholme has scored 35 tries in 66 appearances for Northampton since his debut in 2019.
2025 British & Irish Lions Squad: Bookies' Predictions for the Tour
With the 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia fast approaching, the bookmakers have released their early odds on who will make the squad.
While a lot can change between now and the final selection, these odds give a strong indication of who the bookies believe will be donning the famous red jersey next summer.
The bolded players in our proposed Lions squad represent the starting XV, according to current odds.
2025 BRITISH & IRISH LIONS SQUAD (36)
BACK-THREE (6)
- Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland) – 1/16
- James Lowe (Ireland) – 1/8
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland) – 1/5
- Tommy Freeman (England) – 4/9
- Blair Kinghorn (Scotland) – 8/11
- Darcy Graham (Scotland) – 2/1
CENTRE (4)
- Bundee Aki (Ireland) – 1/5
- Ollie Lawrence (England) – 1/4
- Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland) – 2/7
- Robbie Henshaw (Ireland) – 8/11
FLY-HALVES (3)
- Fin Russell (Scotland) – 1/10
- Fin Smith (England) – 8/15
- Sam Prendergast (Ireland) – 8/11
CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO
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