Former England rugby player Ugo Monye said he is “looking forward to Saturday night” after recovering from an injury that sidelined him for last week’s Strictly Come Dancing.

He and professional dance partner Oti Mabuse missed last week’s performance after seeking treatment for a back injury.

This weekend Monye will dance the notoriously challenging rumba to Leave The Door Open by Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak and Silk Sonic.

Strictly Come Dancing 2021
Oti Mabuse and Ugo Monye (Guy Levy/BBC)

Monye told Strictly spin-off show It Takes Two: “I had a couple of injections into my spine on Friday, had a couple of days’ rest and Oti’s looked after me like a trooper this week.”

He said the injury is “historic” and dance training had caused it to flare up.

“I have never had to do this stuff that I have had to do over the last four weeks, it’s just triggered it,” he said.

Monye said he is “trying to get a balance between doing enough and not allowing my back to flare up, which is so frustrating because the lines are so blurred”.

“I want to keep pushing, pushing, pushing, but I also don’t want to push too far whereby I can’t dance on Saturday.”

He also thanked the Strictly Come Dancing production staff for “that weekend of grace to get myself back fit”.

ASM Clermont Auvergne v La Rochelle – Challenge Cup Final – St James’ Park
Ugo Monye (Richard Sellers/PA)

On Saturday, Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty and partner Katya Jones will follow up their headline-making Argentine tango to Fleetwood Mac’s Tango In The Night with a samba to Faith by George Michael.

Meanwhile McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Amy Dowden will do a salsa to Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles and chef John Whaite and Johannes Radebe will tackle a charleston to Milord by Edith Piaf.

Soap star Rose Ayling-Ellis will dance a Viennese waltz with Giovanni Pernice to Fallin’ by Alicia Keys, while Loose Women’s Judi Love – who survived the dance-off last week – will be hoping to avoid a similar fate this week with a cha cha to Physical by Olivia Newton-John with partner Graziano Di Prima.

Strictly Come Dancing continues on BBC One on Saturday at 7.05pm.