Cardiff pair Adams and Faletau face Wales fitness race

Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt says if injured duo Josh Adams and Taulupe Faletau do not play for his side this month he does not expect them to be involved in Wales' November internationals.

Number eight Faletau, 33, and wing Adams, 29, missed Wales' summer tour of Australia and are yet to feature for Cardiff in the opening three games of the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season.

"If they don't make the end of this fixture block, they're not going to be medically fit to play [for Wales], I would say," said Sherratt.

"It would be a big call for two players who haven't played that long to go back into an international autumn series."

Cardiff have three more games left in this league section, starting with a home derby against Scarlets on Saturday, 12 October, which Adams and Faletau will not be involved in.

Sherratt's side travel to face Edinburgh seven days later before the final game against Ulster on 26 October in Cardiff.

Wales head coach Warren Gatland is scheduled to name his squad on 21 October for the campaign in which they face Fiji in their opener on Sunday, 10 November.

Wales play Australia seven days later and tackle world champions South Africa on Saturday, 23 November.

Sherratt admits the three-match Test schedule could come too soon for Adams and Faletau.

"We'd like them to be back but because they've been out such a substantial time, we'd rather them be a week too late than a week too early," said Sherratt.

"What we don't want to do with both of them is to waste six months of rehabilitation by forcing them back in too early.

"If they make the end of the block, then great. But if not, then no drama."

Faletau had hoped to return before the autumn internationals following a six-month injury lay-off with a broken shoulder, targeting his Cardiff return before the end of October.

The British and Irish Lions back row suffered this latest injury blow on his Cardiff comeback against Ulster in April.

Faletau's injury was picked up in his first game for six months after he suffered a broken arm in Wales' World Cup victory against Georgia in October 2023, while he also missed the 2024 Six Nations with a calf injury.

Adams last played for Cardiff in May against South African side Sharks before missing the final game of the domestic season, and he was also absent for Wales' Tests against South Africa and Australia.

The British and Irish Lions wing featured for Wales in the 2024 Six Nations, where he battled through when he was not fully fit.

"We've tried to rest Josh over the summer in particular and get him back fit," said Sherratt.

"He deserves to come back and be 100% fit, not 99%.

"Josh knows his own body. He's not had a pre-season for five or six years. So we'll give him all the time he needs."

Cardiff captain Liam Belcher will miss the next couple of months because of a broken thumb, while fellow hooker Evan Lloyd is a doubt for the URC derby against Scarlets after picking up an injury in the 52-36 defeat against Glasgow last Friday.

Keiron Assiratti will be available this weekend but fellow Wales prop Corey Domachowski is a fitness doubt.

Sherratt also hopes to have flankers Thomas Young and James Botham and new centre signing Rory Jennings back in contention to play against Scarlets.