England centre Ollie Lawrence is unlikely to recover from a knee injury in time for Saturday’s Guinness Six Nations match against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The Bath player has been excluded from England’s 36-man squad as the team intensifies preparations for the crucial fixture.
Lawrence, who underwent an injection treatment on his knee last week, will continue his rehabilitation at the England training base rather than joining the squad in Rome. This persistent knee injury originally sidelined him for the first three rounds of the tournament. He only recently returned to action in last Saturday’s 42-21 defeat to Ireland, but it now seems he will miss England’s penultimate game of the Six Nations campaign.
With Lawrence’s fitness in doubt, Tommy Freeman emerges as the frontrunner to take over at outside centre. Freeman could move from the wing to fill the gap, though Henry Slade also remains a viable alternative for the role.