The Wales players likely to be cut by Gatland as doubts hang over squad

Warren Gatland is set to name his final squad for the summer series against Australia imminently, with the first match in less than two weeks.

The game against South Africa was a chance for players to really prove to Gatland that they deserved a place on the tour, and many stepped up to the mark, fronting up to the South Africans and matching them physically for large parts of the game.

Now comes the hard part for the Wales head coach - cutting his squad size down at the expense of a few gutted stars.

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Three likely to be cut

Making his debut for Wales against South Africa, Eddie James looks to be a serious future talent. However, he's only played a handful of games for Scarlets, so his experience in the professional game is very limited. The Australia series might have come too soon for the 21-year-old, but you should expect to see him back in the squad for the autumn internationals.

This is largely dependent on fitness, but two-cap Harri O'Connor may not be included in the travelling party. Dillon Lewis is likely to tour along with Henry Thomas, with the pair boasting a wealth of experience at senior level. Archie Griffin is likely to be Gatland's third-choice tight-head.

Matthew Screech had a fantastic first start for Wales and was solid alongside Ben Carter in the boiler house. However, there are too many players above him in the pecking order right now. James Ratti and Christ Tshiunza have the ability to play as locks as well as back-rowers, so they'll be favoured over him. You don't need to make a case for Dafydd Jenkins' inclusion.

Injury doubts

WalesOnline understands that Keiron Assiratti picked up an injury against South Africa. Fellow tight-head Henry Thomas is also a doubt, having picked up a foot injury in training last week. Dillon Lewis is also believed to be carrying a knock.

Speaking at the post-match press conference following their defeat by South Africa, Gatland was asked by the state of Assiratti's injury, he said: "I spoke to Prav (Mathema) the physio and he's just going to reassess that and see where all those players are. There are a couple of players with back issues and Henry with a foot issue.

"We just need to make sure that assessment gets done so we can have a clear picture of where we think some of them are."

Shock re-call Cory Hill is understood to be nursing a calf injury. Gatland said: "He's been running and stuff. We could have risked him.

"Possibly he could have gone out there today but it wasn't happening. There's no point in him breaking down, he just needed a few extra days. He's got next week before we arrive in Australia on Friday."