Wales’s Grand Slam-winning star centre limped off during the Ospreys' European Cup quarter-final defeat at Saracens with damage to his left ankle.

Jones already has scrum-half Mike Phillips absent for the rest of the season with a knee ligament problem.

Initially the Ospreys were concerned 26-year-old Henson would not be fit to face the Tigers at Twickenham on Saturday but Jones is optimistic that he will be involved.

“I saw it on video and it’s quite a nasty twist, but Gavin’s recovering a lot better than we expected,” Jones said.

“We’ll make a decision on Friday morning and give him as much opportunity to recover. I’m no doctor, but there’s nothing serious.”

Jones will need as many of his big-game players available as possible if they are to bounce back unscathed from their European Cup exit at Vicarage Road and be ready for Leicester, who beat them in last year’s Anglo-Welsh Cup final.

But he is confident his team will have learned valuable lessons from their defeat to the Tigers last time round.

“What’s important is that (the Heineken Cup) disappointment is behind us and we are moving on,” Jones said.

“We have Leicester on Saturday and we have learned a huge amount since last year’s EDF appearance when we just got pipped in a great contest.

“Last season they had a good day against us. It’s important for us that we don’t allow those one-offs to happen again.

“They showed they could get it together for big games last season, but they also fell down in the Heineken Cup final.

“It was a great feat to get there, but I’m sure they would have closed their eyes to their performance that day.

“But that’s what can happen when players are fatigued and mentally shot - they have a knack of doing well in these matches.

“We have played them a number of times and every game has been a huge contest of positive rugby. We have gained a lot of experiences, highs and lows, from playing them.

“We expect a huge challenge. They have a history, a tradition and a great support base. Hopefully, our fans will be there to cheer us on again on Sunday, to help us get the victory we want.”