He recently underwent surgery to insert a pin into his wrist but the lock is hopeful of being right for the club’s pre-season trials.

 “I was doing a drill the other day and I literally fell over awkwardly and stuck my wrist out,” de Belin said.

“We didn’t know what happened and the scans came back not indicating anything but it still felt funny.

“I went back for another one and this time it came back with a fractured scaphoid (wrist) which required surgery.”

The 25-year-old is set for an extended break and will be prohibited from contact training for up to a month following his return.