England release seven players from squad ahead of Argentina encounter

England coach Eddie Jones has released a total of seven players from the squad ahead of their autumn internationals opener against Argentina at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

Sale Sharks winger Denny Solomona along with Tom Dunn, Nick Isiekwe, Charlie Ewels, Sam Simmonds, Zach Mercer and Piers Francis will resume their club duties but wings Jonny May and Elliot Daly are still in contention to make it to the matchday 23 squad after recovering from their respective injuries.

May picked up a hamstring injury during the training camp in Portugal while Daly sustained a knee injury but both the players underwent full training on Tuesday.

Semesa Rokoduguni remains with the squad as a cover while Alex Lozowski and Henry Slade are duelling for the role of supporting playmaker and centre while the openside berth appears to be a shootout between Tom Curry and Sam Underhill.

All of the British and Irish Lions players named in the training squad were retained though lock Maro Itoje is likely to be rested following his heavy workload in the last few months.

England's 26-man squad:

Backs, back three - M Brown (Harlequins), E Daly (Wasps), J May (Leicester Tigers), S Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby), A Watson (Bath Rugby).

Inside backs - D Care (Harlequins), O Farrell (Saracens), G Ford (Leicester Tigers), J Joseph (Bath Rugby), A Lozowski (Saracens), H Slade (Exeter Chiefs), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers).

Forwards, back five - T Curry (Sale Sharks), N Hughes (Wasps), M Itoje (Saracens), G Kruis (Saracens), J Launchbury (Wasps), C Lawes (Northampton Saints), C Robshaw (Harlequins), S Underhill (Bath Rugby).

Front row - D Cole (Leicester Tigers), E Genge (Leicester Tigers), J George (Saracens), D Hartley (Northampton Saints), M Vunipola (Saracens), H Williams (Exeter Chiefs).