Scotland's Finn Russell and Darcy Graham likely to face England

Scotland have received a major boost ahead of their crucial Calcutta Cup clash against England, as Finn Russell and Darcy Graham continue to make encouraging progress in their injury recovery.

The key backs, who suffered head injuries in a collision during Scotland’s 32-18 defeat against Ireland, are "in the hunt" to feature in Saturday’s game at Twickenham, according to assistant coach Pete Horne.

Russell, Scotland's co-captain, and Graham, the prolific wing, remained doubtful after a nasty mid-air collision forced both players off the field in their last match. However, they have stayed with the squad at their warm-weather training base in Oliva Nova, Spain, and have begun taking part in light training sessions.

"Their 12-day stand-down period from full-contact rugby ends on Thursday," Horne confirmed.

If they pass the required concussion protocols, both players will be cleared to train fully on Friday and could be available for selection against England on Saturday.

“They’re both progressing well through the protocols,” Horne said, emphasizing that while the squad has yet to finalize the team, both players remain in contention.

“They’re not in full training yet, but we did some light skills today and they were both involved,” he added. Over the past week, they have been working closely with physios and doctors, gradually increasing their activity levels.

On Tuesday, the duo will continue to train under medical supervision before a final decision is made. "They’ll do a bit of training again tomorrow and then see how we go from there, but they’re both progressing pretty well," Horne said.

Despite the positive signs, Scotland’s medical team will take no risks with player safety. "They’ve still got certain things they need to tick off," Horne stated.

The coaching staff and medical team will assess their condition over the next 48 hours before making a final decision on their availability.

While Russell was able to walk off unaided after the Ireland game, Graham’s condition initially seemed more concerning as he was stretchered off and taken to the hospital. However, both players are now at a similar stage of their recovery, giving Scotland hope of having their key men ready for the battle against their historic rivals.