TOBY Faletau has given Wales coach Warren Gatland a big scare within 24 hours of being named in the Six Nations squad.

The Newport Gwent Dragons back row forward injured an ankle in Sunday’s Heineken Cup tie against Glasgow, though he played right through the match.

He reported for training with the national squad yesterday morning but the foot was put in a special boot and he was sent to hospital for a scan.

Gatland and his fellow coaches were anxiously waiting for the result of the scan, but Gatland did say: “It doesn’t look good.”

Faletau was out for months when he damaged a foot near the end of last season and as a result of a summer operation he missed the first six weeks of this season.

It isn’t known whether the latest injury is the same as that, but if it is, he will almost certainly be ruled out of the whole Six Nations programme.

That would be a bitter blow for the 20-year-old No 8 who has made such a big impression in such a short space of time.

He was called up for the autumn series, but just failed to become the first Tongan born player to be capped by Wales. Though he was on the bench for the game against Fiji, the game was so tight, ending in a draw, that he wasn’t sent on.

But Gatland continues to be impressed by the young Dragons star and still selected him for his Six Nations squad, with every chance of making the cut for the World Cup later this year as well.

Gatland revealed that he and his coaches are close to knowing the side they want to take the field in the Six Nations opener against England at the Millennium Stadium a week on Friday.

And he wants Wales to play a more expansive game than they did in the autumn series.

“We’re pretty close in our minds to the side that will be taking on England. They are fairly predictable and we are clear what side they will pick, as they are with us,” he said.

“We always want to be attacking, the message to the players is to move the ball around and play some rugby. We were a bit limited in the autumn and with the likes of Jamie Roberts, Jonathan Davies, Leigh Halfpenny and Rhys Priestland in the squad it gives us more options, and Dwayne Peel’s form has been a lot better as well.”