Saturday 8 September 2018 21:46, UK
New Zealand-born England flanker Brad Shields will be out for up to eight weeks after breaking his cheekbone on his Wasps debut.
Shields was taken off early in the second half of Wasps' home defeat against Exeter with blood streaming from his face after a head-clash with the Chiefs' scrum-half Stu Townsend.
He will now not likely feature at England's training camp this month and will face a race to be fit for the Autumn internationalsA Wasps statement said: "Having attended hospital this evening, it was decided that Shields needs to see a specialist on Monday, to decide whether an operation is necessary.
"It is estimated that the back rower will be out for three to eight weeks."
Wasps were leading Exeter 24-21 at half-time in Saturday's Gallagher Premiership encounter but dropped off the pace and lost a thriller 42-31 at the Ricoh Arena.
Wasps - already without injured back rowers Thomas Young and Nizaam Carr - also had key No 8 Nathan Hughes leave the pitch early with a hamstring injury.
It has been an emotional summer for Shields, who made his much-publicised Test debut in June, lost a stone with food poisoning, played his last game for Super Rugby club Hurricanes in July, only for his UK arrival to be delayed with visa problems.
