Leicester Tigers chief executive Simon Cohen has revealed that Louis Deacon may be forced to retire due to injury.
The 33-year-old, who has been capped 29 times at international level by England, has yet to play a game this season because of his troublesome back.
"There is the possibility he won't come back but you hope not," Cohen told BBC Sport. "Louis has been a great servant of this club and the important thing is we safeguard his future.
"He has put his body on the line for an awful long time and that has clearly taken a bit of a toll. What you want to ensure above everything is that he spends the rest of life without worrying about his back when he goes upstairs, lays down or sits down.
"We will take our time and he will take his time understanding the prognosis before he makes a decision."
Cohen also confirmed that the Tigers are looking to add to their second row following a recent spate of injuries.
