Image:Wood: May not recover in time for the Heineken Cup final
Injured flanker Tom Wood could miss Northampton's Heineken Cup final against Leinster on Saturday.
Mallinder confirms injured flanker could miss Heneken Cup final
England flanker Tom Wood is a major doubt for Northampton's Heineken Cup final against Leinster on Saturday.
Wood has been sleeping in an oxygen tent in an attempt to speed up his recovery from a hairline leg fracture.
But director of rugby Jim Mallinder revealed on Monday, the Aviva Premiership player of the year may lose his race to be fit for the crucial clash.
Wood, who sustained the injury during Northampton's Premiership game against Gloucester at Kingshlom last month has returned to light training.
But Mallinder is not confident he will recover in time to play at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
"We will see," said the Saints boss. "He's now jogging around but whether it might be one week too early, we don't know."
The news will come as a further blow to the club after their hopes of clinching the double were shattered by Leicester in the Premiership semi-final on Saturday.
"Of course we wanted to win and get through to Twickenham," Mallinder added. "Now, it is very simple - it's about one game of rugby,
"And we don't want to have played all this good rugby this season and come out of it with nothing."
