Sale centre Manu Tuilagi says he is not focusing on being named in the British & Irish Lions squad as he continues his return from an Achilles injury.

Lions coach Warren Gatland will name his squad for the summer tour of South Africa on 6 May, but Tuilagi should return before the end of the season.

"Hopefully it'll be four to five weeks before I'm back playing," he said.

When asked by BBC North West Tonight whether he was thinking about whether he could be named in the Lions squad, Tuilagi added: "I'm not at the moment because first and foremost I need to get out on the field. Whatever happens after that is a bonus.

"I like to stay in the present moment. We've got some outstanding players here [at Sale] from South Africa so it's going to be tough and I hope the boys that are going will do the job."

Tuilagi, who has 43 England caps and was part of the 2013 Lions squad, signed a new two-year contract with Sale last week.

Having joined on an initial short-term deal in July 2020 following his release from Leicester Tigers, Tuilagi has scored one try in six games for the club, who are currently third in the Premiership table.

"We're out of Europe now and our focus is solely on the Premiership," he said.

"Watching the boys every week, growing as a team, it really makes me excited to come back and hopefully add something to it."