Wednesday Round-Up

England centre Manu Tuilagi is in line to return for Leicester next month.

The 24-year-old, who signed a new Tigers contract on Monday, has been out for 14 months with a groin injury.

"The indications are good," said Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill. "January is not far away. I'd like to think he'll be near playing in the next few weeks."

Tuilagi's three-year contract makes him one of the Premiership's highest paid players.

Cockerill says he is worth the investment despite spending so long on the sidelines. 

"He is worth the gamble," he said. "He's been here a long time and has played a lot of rugby for us.

"Clearly he's had some injury issues but you have to support people through those situations. I've no doubt Manu will repay that faith by how he plays."

Wales captain Sam Warburton's ankle injury will sideline him for just "six to eight weeks", boosting his chances of being fit for the 2016 Six Nations.

Warburton, 27, told BBC Radio Wales he will not need surgery after being injured in Cardiff Blues' Pro12 loss at Ospreys and hopes to return in January.

"I saw the specialist and he's [aiming] for mid-January," Warburton said.

"It's nice not to have the surgery. It would have been my fifth operation at 27, so it's nice I dodged that one.

"I'll be in the boot for a couple of weeks, which is just protocol just to keep the weight off the ligament.

"Missing the Christmas derbies, that is a blow. That's normally a sell-out and a great crowd."