England suffer injury set-back ahead of Six Nations opener

England have been dealt an injury set-back ahead of the Six Nations with prop Fin Baxter set to undergo foot surgery.

Baxter has not played since 14 December for Harlequins but was due to join up with Steve Borthwick’s squad in Girona this week ahead of England’s opening game against Wales on 7 February.

But the 23-year-old loosehead will instead undergo a procedure that is likely to rule him out of the tournament. Flanker Ben Curry will also not travel to Spain, with Jack Kenningham called into the England training squad as Curry continues his rehabilitation with Sale Sharks.

A blow for Baxter is another hit to the prop stocks available to Borthwick. Tightheads Will Stuart (achilles) and Asher Opoku-Fordjour (shoulder) will both miss the Six Nations through injury, leaving Trevor Davison and the uncapped Vilikesa Sela to back up Joe Heyes.

On the loosehead side, Bevan Rodd and Emmanuel Iyogun are the options alongside Ellis Genge, who has been in excellent form for Bristol, in the squad.

Wing Tom Roebuck, fly half Fin Smith and centre Ollie Lawrence were the other members of a group of rehabilitating players called up to the Girona camp. All are thought to be touch-and-go for the opening game at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, but Borthwick has not yet ruled any of them out.

“The fact we’re taking them out to this camp shows that they’re not far away from being back on the grass,” the England head coach said. “I think they’ve got a chance.

“For the Wales Test match, I think it would be tight. We’d need the rehab to go really well and tick all the boxes through the process. It’s tight but I think they’re all within a shot of it.”