England suffer George Kruis blow in Six Nations

England's Six Nations title defence will be without Saracens back-row George Kruis after he is set to undergo a surgery.

The 26-year-old was initially given clearance for the Six Nations opener against France at Twickenham after recovering from a cheekbone fracture.

However, following a discomfort in knee during the training, he was ruled out of encounter against France which his team went on to win 19-16 at Twickenham on Saturday.

After further assessment, Kruis will now undergo a surgery to repair ligament damage which will keep him out of action until April.

The news was confirmed by a statement released by Rugby Football Union (RFU).

"George will undergo surgery on Tuesday for a knee ligament injury sustained in training earlier in the week," read the statement.

"It is expected that the second row will require a 10-12 week rehabilitation period."

Earlier, during the autumn internationals, Kruis also missed the first two games due to an ankle injury.

England are scheduled to take on Wales next in their Six Nations campaign at Principality Stadium on 11th February.