Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall cannot wait to welcome back “sensational” leader Owen Farrell, as his four-month injury absence comes to an end, writes Matt Wright. 

McCall hopes to have the England captain and fly-half available for their Premiership fixture against Bristol Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. 

Should Sarries skipper Farrell make an appearance, it would be his first since suffering an ankle problem in England’s match against Australia during the Autumn Nations Series in November. 

Just as he was on the brink of returning, the 30-year-old injured his other ankle in January, which forced him to miss the whole of England’s disappointing Six Nations campaign. 

Sarries have adapted well to Farrell’s absence and lie second in the Premiership, but McCall is excited to have him back in the fold, saying: “I can just talk about the leader I know. The leader I know is sensational. 

“I've never come across someone who can lead the way he does. He leads by example, that's obvious, but he can also lead vocally and he has the clarity of thought to understand if something is wrong, what needs to be fixed. 

“He finds solutions to problems better than most. He articulates that to his team-mates better than most. And he's an inspiration. As a captain, he's rare and unique.  

“As a player, he is a force of nature and he's a Test match animal. A big game brings the best out of him. Certainly, we have missed him over this period and in my view England have too.” 

Farrell has been back in training at Saracens for the past two weeks and will be assessed in the next couple of days as to whether he will be fit enough to face Bristol in front of what is set to be a huge crowd. 

McCall, meanwhile, has praised hooker Jamie George for his performances for England during the Six Nations. 

George impressed, in particular, during the defeat against Ireland at Twickenham when England were forced to battle on with 14 men for almost the whole game after Charlie Ewels’ second-minute red card. 

It continued what has been a commendable run of form at international level since the 31-year-old was initially dropped from the squad last autumn before being swiftly recalled by England coach Eddie Jones due to injuries to other players in his position.

McCall said: “We've seen absolutely no lack of motivation from Jamie ever, I don't think, but whether Eddie's challenge was necessary or not is irrelevant, I guess.  

“Jamie is showing that the proof is always in the pudding with what you do rather than what you say.  

“He is playing really well. He's going to play his 250th game for the club on Saturday, which is a hell of an achievement and we're very proud of him for it.”