Will Carling is expected to announce his retirement today after 10 years as a Harlequins player but Malcolm Wall, the club chairman, said yesterday they would only allow him to leave the Stoop "with great reluctance".

Carling, who is sidelined with a broken hand, will be taking financial considerations into account before reaching his decision. His distinguished service with Harlequins, whom he twice helped to win the Pilkington Cup, should entitle him to a testimonial fund provided he remains in good standing with his employers.

His premature departure at a time when Harlequins are lumbered with a lengthy injury list would hardly go down well with those club members who invariably carry out the unpaid work of fund-raising at special dinners and functions for a star player.

If Harlequins arrange a testimonial match on behalf of Carling that might bring in £50,000 on top of say another £50,000 from the activities of members and sponsors. Carling (32), who is in the second season of a three-year contract worth £125,000 a year, also stands to lose substantial bonuses if he takes no further part in the club's premiership campaign.

Following their exit from the Tetley's Cup at the hands of Wasps last Sunday, the Premiership has become Harlequins' last remaining hope of a trophy this season. Little wonder that Andy Keast, their director of rugby, wants Carling to stay.

Nevertheless Carling, who recently became the first time father of a baby girl, may feel his injury - which could take up to a month to mend - offers him a respectable excuse for standing down without loss of face.

The unresolved question is whether England's most celebrated rugby player still has sufficient motivation and mental toughness to battle through the second half of a long hard season and perhaps help Quins improve upon their current third position.