DYLAN Hartley is in line for an 11th hour Lions call.
The England captain was a controversial omission from Warren Gatland’s 41-man squad last month.
But an injury to Wales hooker Ken Owens could yet see Hartley face the All Blacks.
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Owens is one of three hookers in Gatland’s touring party, but suffered an ankle injury in training with the Scarlets at the start of this week.
The 30-year-old will miss his team’s Pro12 semi-final with Leinster on Friday, and will also sit out the final a week on Saturday, should the Welsh side make it that far.
It means Owens is a serious doubt to make the 10-match tour of New Zealand. Hartley is first in the queue for a late call-up.
Lions kicking coach Neil Jenkins said: “It is rugby. These things happen and people get injured, but hopefully Ken will be fine.
“He will miss the big game for the Scarlets, but with a bit of luck he should be OK for the Lions.”
Owens has been assessed by Lions medical staff this week and will continue to be monitored before the weekend when Gatland and his medical team will make a final call on his fitness.
The Lions begin a training camp in Ireland on Monday before flying to New Zealand a week later.
Travelling to the southern hemisphere with just two fit hookers in Rory Best and Jamie George would represent a gamble Gatland would be unwilling to take.
It leaves controversial Red Rose skipper Hartley leading the way to step in with Owens struggling.
Gatland said last month: “Dylan has done a great job for England since he has captained the team.
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"There's no doubting his leadership qualities. He brings a competitiveness to the tight forwards and there was a long discussion about him. At the end of the day we felt we couldn't leave Jamie out.
"There was always going to be a tough call and someone was always going to be disappointed. "There were was long and lively discussion.
"Dylan is definitely one of the players who’s been unlucky - you’ve got to feel for him."
Hartley was the headline absentee from Gatland's initial squad. He has led England to back-to-back Six Nations titles and an unbeaten run of 18 games.
Should he end up travelling to New Zealand, it would be a first Lions tour for Hartley after he missed the 2013 trip to Australia for calling referee Wayne Barnes a “f****** cheat” in that year's Premiership final.
In total, Hartley has missed more than a year's worth of rugby due to suspension, but Gatland is known to be impressed by his leadership and improved discipline with England.
It leaves the Northampton man favourite to be added to Gatland's squad should Owens be ruled out.
Ireland's Sean Cronin and Scotland's Fraser Brown are other replacement hooker options.
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