Dowson delivers latest injury update ahead of Saints' trip to Paris

Sleightholme was due to be named on the bench for Sunday's game against Bath at cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens, but he was forced to withdraw from the squad with a hamstring issue.

Tom Seabrook took the England man's place among the replacements and got more than a half under his belt as he came on for another injury victim, George Hendy, just before the interval.

And when asked about Sleightholme at Tuesday's media session ahead of the trip to Paris, Dowson said: "He just got a slight tightness in training last Friday and we gave him the opportunity to see how he pulled up the next day, but Ols has had some soft tissue (injuries) in the past and we manage him differently now.

"With those highly-strung, athletic gentlemen, you've got to be very cautious about when you reintroduce them so we'll give him the right time and make sure he's feeling good.

"I think he's got a much better understanding of his own body and an understanding of when he can and can't train so we'll get more of a steer on that over the next week or so.”

Dowson added: "He might train the back end of the week. With his history and how we manage him, I'd think it would be unlikely he would play this weekend.

"He's been scanned, there's not a tonne in there from the picture, but the picture only tells half the story - how he's feeling and all those sorts of bits.

"The one thing that's not going to happen is him being rushed. If we were playing in a European final this weekend, would the decision be different? I don't know.

"But we'll be very conservative managing Ollie."

Hendy was having a superb game at full-back against Bath but after taking two separate heavy blows on his left shoulder, he was forced off.

Saints are now waiting to discover the severity of the problem.

"He's okay," Dowson said. "He's gone for a scan so we're waiting to see what comes back from that."

Saints are already without skipper George Furbank due to a broken arm, reducing their options in the back three.

And they are also looking at a potential second-row shortage this week as Chunya Munga remains a doubt after being added to the injury list last week, while Temo Mayanavanua and Alex Coles are now going through return-to-play protocols after suffering concussion during the same passage of play early in the second half against Bath.

"They (Mayanavanua and Coles) are both going through the HIA process so we'll know a bit more in the next 24 hours," Dowson said at the media session.

One piece of good news in the second row comes in the form of summer signing Callum Hunter-Hill, who was able to take part in the warm-up last weekend.

Hunter-Hill has only made two appearances since joining from Saracens and his most recent outing came against Sale Sharks on October 18.

"It's great when you get any players back," Dowson said.

"He's obviously been a bit frustrated with a bad back and nursing that so it's good to have players back in as the revolving door of the physio room continues."

Loosehead prop Manny Iyogun was added to the Saints injury list last week due to the ankle issue he sustained against Saracens on December 22.

And Dowson said: "His ankle, he's got another maybe two to four weeks to run on that."

Saints also remain without long-term injury victims Robbie Smith, Sam Graham and Burger Odendaal.