England captain Owen Farrell handed four-week ban

England skipper Owen Farrell is set to be available for the Six Nations opener against Scotland despite a four-week suspension.

The 31-year-old was red-carded during Saracens' recently concluded Gallagher Premiership game against Gloucester for making contact with the head of Jack Clement in the 75th minute.

Farrell escaped the on-field sanction during the incident but was sanctioned by the citing commissioner and attended an independent disciplinary hearing on Tuesday.

He was initially handed a six-week ban which is the mid-range sanction and was reduced by 50% taking into account the mitigating factors. His ban can be reduced to three weeks, if he successfully completes the World Rugby coaching intervention programme.

Farrell will now miss Saracens' European games with Lyon and Edinburgh along with the Premiership game against Bristol.

"The panel accepts that the player thought he had struck the chest of his opponent but in our view the footage confirms he was wrong," Farrell's disciplinary report said.

"We acknowledge there was no injury to the opposition player and have taken this into account in our decision.

"We do not however think that this effects our conclusion that a high degree of danger existed."