Saracens lock Nick Isiekwe to miss Six Nations opener for England
Bath lock Charlie Ewels has been called in as a replacement
©Steve Haag
England have been dealt another injury blow ahead of the Six Nations tournament with Saracens lock Nick Isiekwe withdrawn from the squad.
The 25-year-old has been ruled out of the tournament opener against Italy on 3rd February due to an illness and now joins centres Oscar Beard and Ollie Lawrence and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie in the players to be leaving the training squad.
England head coach Steve Borthwick has called up Bath lock Charlie Ewels as a replacement for Isiekwe.
Ewels last played for England in 2022 as a knee injury kept him on the sidelines for a lengthy period. He has 30 Test caps to his name and will link up with the training squad in Girona ahead of the weekend.
“Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby) has been called into the England men’s Guinness Six Nations training squad to replace Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), who has returned home because of illness. Ewels will arrive at England’s training base in Girona later today," read a statement from the Rugby Football Union.
England's Six Nations squad:
Forwards: Jamie Blamire, Ollie Chessum, Dan Cole, Alex Coles, Chandler Cunningham-South, Ben Curry, Theo Dan, Alex Dombrandt, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Nick Isiekwe, Maro Itoje, Joe Marler, Beno Obano, Tom Pearson, Ethan Roots, Will Stuart, Sam Underhill
Backs: Danny Care, Elliot Daly, Fraser Dingwall, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, George Ford, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Alex Mitchell, Will Muir Max Ojomoh, Tom Roebuck, Henry Slade, Fin Smith, Marcus Smith, Ben Spencer, Freddie Steward
