Henry Slade to miss start of 2024/25 season for Exeter Chiefs
Henry Slade has underwent a surgery on his shoulder
©PA
Exeter Chiefs have confirmed that England international Henry Slade will miss the start of the 2024/25 season following an injury setback.
Slade picked up a shoulder injury during England's Six Nations campaign and has underwent a surgery which will sideline him for three to four months.
“Henry picked up a shoulder injury during the Guinness Six Nations playing for England earlier this year. The joint was stable, so Henry was able to play through the rest of the competition and resume playing with us through to the end of the 2023/24 season," said Exeter Chiefs director of rugby Rob Baxter to the club's official website.
“We were aware that there was a slight issue, as were England, and it has slightly worsened throughout the Summer Tour.
"After having the shoulder re-scanned and checking in with how Henry feels about his shoulder, we’ve made the decision that now is the right time to have the operation.
“Hopefully he can use this down period to complete a strong rehab stint before we get back into rugby.
“It’s a relatively complex operation which, at this stage, makes it a little difficult to talk about his return to play time. It is likely to be in the three-to-four-month range so unfortunately, he is going to miss a good chunk of the start of the season with us.
“History has taught us plenty of times that Henry is an incredibly good rehabber. He will return very fit, as he’s been on great form for club and country. Although this is unfortunate, we know he’s going to work very hard, and I predict he will still have a very big impact on next season both for us and for England.”
