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Fin Smith faces a race against time to be fit for Australia’s autumn opener, but fellow midfield player Benhard Janse van Rensburg will play no part in the campaign.
Head coach Steve Borthwick revealed that Smith will have until Wednesday to recover from the calf strain he suffered Northampton duty against Leicester on Saturday.
If England’s first choice is dropped, then either George Ford or Marcus Smith will be appointed as the chief conductor for the visit of the Wallabies at Allianz Stadium on November 8.
“The Finn has made good progress over the last few days and we are hopeful of his availability against Australia, but that remains unclear at this stage,” Borthwick said.
The outlook for Janse van Rensburg is less positive, with Bristol the center has been withdrawn from full rugby duties indefinitely.
Van Rensburg has suffered two significant concussions in the last three games, the last of which saw him pass out during a tackle England fellow Henry Pollock v Northampton on 3 October.
The South African-born center made his Test debut against Fiji in July, but now we have to wait until Six Nations to win his third appearance after dropping out of the second stage Nations Championship next month.
“Benhard has seen a specialist and has been advised to do a few weeks off contact before being reintroduced to rugby in the coming weeks,” Borthwick said.
Flanker Guy Pepper will also miss the Tests against Australia, Japan and New Zealand, as well as the finals weekend, due to an ankle injury he sustained playing for Bath against Gloucester on Friday.
However, there is better news surrounding Seb Atkinson (knee) and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (hamstring), with both players on track to be available for Gloucester and Exeter this weekend.
England’s Leicester and Northampton contingent entered the camp on Sunday, just 24 hours after engaging in a huge fight at half-time in a storming East Midlands derby.
Tigers Ollie Chessum and Saints number eight Pollock have been at the heart of the fray and Borthwick is keen to see the same commitment to the shirt at Twickenham this autumn.
“To be clear, nothing overtly illegal,” Borthwick said. “Do I like to see the intensity, the passion, the pride? Yes. Do I want the players to bring that passion and pride to the England shirt? Absolutely.
“These are young players who have grown up at their clubs and become great players at their clubs. I want that in an England shirt.”
“What I think is really good is that players compete the way they do one day and then they can come in and be great mates the next day. Ollie and Henry are great mates.”
“I actually think the real strength of the game is to be able to compete like that in that kind of thoroughbred meet, as hot as it is, and then they’re just fine.”
Borthwick said his players this autumn will be crucial in qualifying for next year’s World Cup.
“We have 12 Tests until the World Cup,” he said. “There are 10 Tests until I name our 33-man squad.
“This series of games is the last chance we have to play against the southern hemisphere before then.
“I look forward to seeing the players compete and perform against this caliber of opposition.”