Wales admit Peel fitness concern

SIX NATIONS 2009 - ITALY v WALES
Venue: Stadio Flaminio Date: Saturday, 14 March Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: Live on BBC ONE Wales and online, full commentary on BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and online plus score updates on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Dwayne Peel is now third in Wales' scrum-half pecking order

Dwayne Peel may be forced to withdraw from the Wales side to face Italy on Saturday after suffering a hamstring injury on club duty with Sale.

The scrum-half, recalled to the Wales side in place of Mike Phillips, hobbled off in the Sharks' defeat by Newcastle.

Wales physio Mark Davies concedes Peel's chances of playing in Rome "aren't great", so Phillips is set to return to the starting line-up.

Warren Fury of London Irish has also been called into the Wales squad.

Fury, who won two Wales caps as a replacement on their summer tour of South Africa last summer, could be on the bench in Rome if Peel joins fellow scrum-halves Gareth Cooper and Martin Roberts on the unavailable list.

Gloucester's Cooper is still sidelined with a knee injury and Roberts, who has been training with the Wales squad, suffered a rib injury in the Scarlets' Magners League win over Edinburgh on Sunday.

Phillips, who has overtaken Peel as Wales' first-choice number nine, was moved to the replacements bench for the Six Nations trip to the Stadio Flaminio as one of 10 changes made by head coach Warren Gatland in the wake of their defeat in France.

606: DEBATE Is Dwayne Peel's injury a blow to Wales in Rome?

Peel, 28, was initially omitted from Gatland's Six Nations squad, having fallen behind Cooper in Wales' scrum-half pecking order since winning his second Grand Slam in four seasons in 2008.

But with Cooper injured, the Lions star was set to make his first Wales start for 12 months - and win his 68th cap - in Rome before this latest blow.

Peel is yet to return to Wales' Vale of Glamorgan headquarters from Manchester after limping off at Edgeley Park on Sunday.

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Wales: Lee Byrne (Ospreys); Mark Jones (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Blues), Gavin Henson (Ospreys), Shane Williams (Ospreys); James Hook (Ospreys), Dwayne Peel (Sale); John Yapp (Blues), Huw Bennett (Ospreys), Rhys Thomas (Dragons), Luke Charteris (Dragons), Alun Wyn Jones (capt, Ospreys), Jonathan Thomas (Ospreys), Dafydd Jones (Scarlets), Andy Powell (Blues).
Replacements: Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Gethin Jenkins (Blues), Bradley Davies (Blues), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Ospreys), Stephen Jones (Scarlets), Tom Shanklin (Blues).

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