EXETER Chiefs forward Kane James is set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines after sustaining a serious ankle injury in Sunday’s 31-0 European Challenge Cup win over Cardiff.

The 20-year-old England Under-20 international was forced off during the first half of their clash at Sandy Park – and now the club are awaiting the results of a scan to determine the full extent of the damage.

However, Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter noted his concern when he addressed the media on Tuesday morning, stressing the injury “looks likely to be pretty serious,” and preliminary estimates suggest a 10-12 week recovery period.

“It looks likely to be a pretty serious injury,” said Baxter. “Ankle injuries you're probably talking 10-12 weeks at this stage, but we’ll fill everyone in with more details once we have the detailed scan results and have a surgeon's opinion – then we’ll know what the operative route is likely to be.”

James has been one of Exeter’s break-out stars this season, featuring in eight of the club’s nine Premiership games and all four European fixtures. He has scored one try and quickly established himself as a regular in the first-team 23, earning his place “on merit” rather than as part of a development plan, according to Baxter.

"The injury is not only frustrating for us, but clearly frustrating for him because he's broken into the first team and started a very important game for us, and it's not taken long before he's had to come off with a significant injury.

"The problem is with these really good ball carriers who are capable of breaking tackles, they're the kind of injuries they pick up over their career where people are catching them from behind and dropping onto their legs, and they've got good leg drive so they don't accept tackles.”

Despite the setback, Baxter sees a silver lining, adding: “This gives him a block of development in other areas. He can spend time in the gym and in rehab, and our medical team is excellent. Players coming out of these periods are often bigger, stronger, fitter, faster, and that will be his aim over the next few months.”

The Chiefs will now monitor James closely as they plan for his recovery, hoping their rising star can return stronger after what is shaping up to be a frustrating but ultimately constructive spell on the sidelines.