Sale’s Opoku-Fordjour called up to Lions training squad

Sale’s 20-year-old tight-head prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour has been called up to the British and Irish Lions training squad.

Opoku-Fordjour has only won one cap for England but will now travel to Portugal next week as the Lions prepare for the match with Argentina in Dublin on Friday, 20 June.

With 12 players from United Rugby Championship (URC) finalists Leinster unavailable for training next week, as well as those from Premiership finalists Bath and Leicester, Lions boss Andy Farrell is in desperate need of extra bodies to prepare for the Pumas.

After taking on Argentina at Aviva Stadium, the Lions will fly to Perth before their first match in Australia against the Western Force on 28 June.

Farrell is particularly short of options in the front row. Hookers Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher are still on Leinster duty, leaving Luke Cowan-Dickie the only hooker from the original party available for training in the coming week.

Meanwhile, at tight-head the Lions are seriously stretched. Tadhg Furlong is an injury concern and is also with Leinster, Bath’s Will Stuart is unavailable, while Scotland and Glasgow’s Zander Fagerson is recovering from a calf strain.

Opoku-Fordjour’s Lions call-up comes at the end of a breakthrough season. He won his first England cap in the autumn and made the shortlist for Premiership young player of the season. He started for Sale in Saturday’s 21-16 defeat by Leicester at Welford Road.

Meanwhile, Ireland prop Finlay Bealham and England hooker Jamie George are also expected to be called into the Lions squad, with official confirmation of the additions expected on Monday.