Tuilagi faces lay-off after breaking jaw

Manu Tuilagi has become England's latest returning World Cup star to suffer injury after fracturing his cheekbone playing for Leicester against Gloucester last week.

Tuilagi - one of only a handful of Martin Johnson's squad to finish the tournament in credit before senselessly jumping from an Auckland ferry - has been ruled out for six weeks.

As a result, the 20-year-old will miss injury-hit Leicester's Premiership fixtures against Sale, London Irish and Gloucester and the Heineken Cup clashes against Italian side Aironi and Ulster.

Tuilagi joins Leicester and England team-mate Ben Youngs (knee) and England hopeful Anthony Allen (severed artery) on the sidelines for Richard Cockerill's struggling team.

Allen, who did not travel to New Zealand but had been expected to contend for a Six Nations spot, severed an artery in his thumb cutting lino flooring at his home and will be out of action for three months.

"Our luck is not getting any better, is it?" said director of rugby Cockerill."Manu's was just one of those things in a collision. It's a straightforward break and he will be out for six weeks."

Tuilagi was playing his first game since returning from New Zealand.