LUKE McAlister may be a short-term absentee for Sale Sharks at Worcester this weekend but the club remain hopeful that he could yet have a long-term future at Edgeley Park.

The All Blacks star, whose contract expires in May, flew home to New Zealand earlier this week for a pre-arranged break to deal with a family matter.

But though McAlister will be 12,000 miles away when Sale step out at Sixways for tomorrow's crucial re-arranged Guinness Premiership clash, his future is still uppermost in the thoughts of new Edgeley Park director of rugby Kingsley Jones.

The 24-year-old's future has been the subject of feverish speculation over the past few months with a posse of cash-rich French clubs, not to mention the likes of Auckland back in his homeland, keen to entice McAlister away from the north west.

However, Jones says Sale are still hopeful of persuading the powerhouse centre to extend his stay in England. "It's all positive and we are still working on a package, but I do know that Luke loves it here," said Jones.

Sale will be able to call on the services of French duo Lionel Faure and Sebastien Chabal against Worcester despite their selection in the French squad for their Six Nations opener against Ireland.

And as an added bonus for Jones' first game since assuming the role of director of rugby, Mathew Tait should also figure after being temporarily released from England's elite squad in order to gain more game time. Scotland star Jason White is also in the frame, though after a month out with a broken finger he's unlikely to be fast-tracked straight into the starting line-up.





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