Midfield injury worry for Gatland

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Gavin Henson, poised for a first Test match appearance since last year's Grand Slam-clinching victory over France, has handed the Wales camp a major injury scare. And it threatens to derail Gatland's plan - for the second time this season - of pairing Ospreys star Henson with 6ft 4ins Cardiff Blues centre Jamie Roberts.

"We are not going to wait like we did in the autumn until the day of the match. It's only fair, in the first game, we make the call on Friday," said Gatland.

Wales have never lost a Six Nations game Henson has started, but Gatland will not delay any decision until after his squad fly to Edinburgh on Friday evening.

The 27-year-old suffered a tightening of a calf muscle in training on Tuesday. Henson has missed Wales' last six Tests, initially because of an ankle injury and then a long-standing Achilles' tendon problem he aggravated before the autumn series opener against South Africa.

Gatland had hoped to field Henson and Roberts for the Springboks match in early November, yet his plan collapsed at base camp when Henson withdrew 24 hours before kick-off.

"Gavin just felt his calf tightening in training," said Gatland.

"If Gavin is not right, Tom (Shanklin) will come in and probably go to 13, Jamie move to 12 and Andrew Bishop brought in as bench cover.

"There is no point training on it and making it a major problem that would keep him out for six or eight weeks.

Henson's scheduled return is one of three changes from the side that beat Australia 21-18 just under 10 weeks ago. He replaces Shanklin, with Roberts moving to outside centre, while 20-year-old Cardiff Blues wing Leigh Halfpenny makes his Six Nations debut and Ospreys scrum-half Mike Phillips returns after recovering from a major knee injury that required two operations.