Atkins out for three months with knee injury

Exeter Chiefs second-row Ollie Atkins is set to miss up to three months after injuring his knee in the early stages of Saturday's 43-20 Anglo-Welsh Cup win over Saracens.

"He's got a pretty significant knee injury," director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport.

"It's not going to require surgery, at least that's what the initial scans show, but it is going to be one of those 8-12 week MCL ligament injuries."

"This is his opportunity to get in a pre-season really," added Baxter.

"In any other sport you'd say two months out is your opportunity to majorly work on other areas of your physical development and of your game and that's what Ollie's got to make sure he does now.

"This is two months added to the end of his career, not two months taken away form his career."