Exeter Chiefs' Christ Tshiunza out for 'a couple of months' ahead of Bristol Bears Gallagher Premiership Rugby clash

Exeter Chiefs will be without Christ Tshiunza for a "couple of months at least" with a broken foot.

The Wales flanker picked up the injury in the Chiefs 43-0 blowout win over Sale after coming on as a second-half replacement.

The 21-year-old forward was back in club action having featured for Wales at the World Cup, but he looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, as confirmed by Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter.

“He has broken a bone in his foot,” Baxter said in a press call ahead of the Chiefs’ next Gallagher Premiership Rugby match against Bristol Bears, live on TNT Sports.

“It was the only injury we picked up on Saturday. It was a bit innocuous, he didn’t come off with it.

“I don’t think he thought it was a big deal at the time but there has been some pain and we have had it X-rayed and scanned and he has got a fracture there and we have got to see how it mends.

“He will see a consultant to see if it requires an operation, but I think that is unlikely.

“We just need to manage the injury now to make sure it heals well and we will look to get him up and running again but it will probably be a couple of months which is a bit of a shame because he has only done about 20 minutes for us in quite a long time and looked pretty good.”

Tshiunza joins Josh Hodge on the long-term injury list for the Chiefs after the full back suffered a dislocated elbow against Harlequins last month.

The Chiefs welcome Bristol to Sandy Park, live on TNT Sports, where they are unbeaten in over a year and handed the Bears a thumping 75-0 defeat in the Premiership Rugby Cup in September.

Exeter currently sit second in the table level on 10 points with the Bears with an identical record of two wins and one defeat from the opening three rounds of fixtures, albeit with a better points difference.

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