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Players

• Iain Balshaw

Leeds Tykes director of rugby Phil Davies admits he does not know when Iain Balshaw will play for the club again.

The explosive England full back has undergone surgery in an attempt to finally cure a longstanding abdominal injury, and Davies revealed there will be no pressure on Balshaw's speedy return.

"Iain had the surgery on Tuesday but we are not putting any time scale on when he will return to action," said the Tykes boss.

"Iain is still only 26 years of age and, on his day, is one of the most exciting players in world rugby. We are going to make sure he is 100% before he returns to training and playing and ensure that he will be able to have a long term future at the club.

"I know it has been a frustrating time for Iain and the injury has been a difficult one to pinpoint. But we are all confident we have taken the right course of action now and Balsh can begin to work towards a positive outcome."

Balshaw has suffered a miserable time with injuries over the past year, limping out of the Powergen Cup final in the opening minutes before seeing this season cut short at the start of October.

The former Bath man is widely recognised as one of the most exciting backs in world rugby, and both club and country will hope that surgery will finally allow the 26-year-old to fulfil his obvious potential.

Leeds fans are now unlikely to see the full back until the latter stages of the 2005/06 campaign, meaning Balshaw will not be available for the Six-Nations in February.