NEWS ROUND-UP:GAVIN HENSON trained with Saracens yesterday, his first involvement in rugby since he was injured playing for Ospreys 18 months ago, but the Watford-based club still has to decide whether to make the Welsh region an offer for the 28-year-old.
Saracens are looking for a fly-half, with Derick Hougaard ruled out for up to six months with an Achilles tendon injury, but there are two issues to resolve over Henson.
The first is his contractual status with Ospreys and the second is when he will be available because of his commitments on Strictly Come Dancing.
Henson’s lawyers have contended that the player’s contract with Ospreys is void because he has not been paid for more than a year having taken a sabbatical.
The region disagrees and a suggested compromise is that Henson spends this season in London and returns to Swansea next summer for at least the final year of his contract.
“Gavin trained with us today,” said the Saracens chief executive, Edward Griffiths.
“I think he enjoyed it and it was good to have him with us. We are in discussions with the Ospreys but we still need to agree on how he can relaunch his rugby career and continue with Strictly Come Dancing. ”
Meanwhile James Hook, who is considering leaving Ospreys at the end of the season for Perpignan, will not leave Wales if it jeopardises his international career.
The Lions outside-half, who may be switched to full-back for the autumn international series next month after Lee Byrne was ruled out with a hand injury, will decide on his future at the end of next month.
Byrne was seeing a specialist yesterday to see if he needed an operation on the left hand he injured playing for Ospreys in Glasgow on Sunday.
If no surgery is needed he may be back for the last of the autumn internationals against New Zealand.
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