George Ford could miss England's entire autumn campaign due to an injury sustained during Sale's match last weekend. Sale is awaiting the results of a scan to determine the full extent of the fly-half's layoff, but there are concerns that Ford might be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a torn quad muscle. With England's Autumn Nations Series starting against the All Blacks on November 2, this would be a significant setback for the 31-year-old, who missed the summer tour of Japan and New Zealand for surgery on an achilles tendon issue. Ford started each of England's five matches during the Six Nations, and under his leadership, England made notable progress, particularly in the victory over Ireland and the close defeat by France. Although Marcus Smith impressed on tour, Ford's experience was sorely missed. Ford has 96 caps and was hoping to reach his England century this autumn.
Speaking on Tuesday, Sale's director of rugby, Alex Sanderson, said: "I don't think he could have continued playing. He walked off and was limping. The initial scan report indicates a tear, so it was the right decision to take him off. We don't have any definite or concrete information yet... and we don't know the exact rehab time at this point." Adding to England coach Steve Borthwick's concerns, first-choice scrum-half Alex Mitchell has yet to feature this season for Northampton due to a neck injury. With the Saints unable to provide a timeline for his return, Mitchell is also a doubt for the autumn. With Danny Care and Ben Youngs retired from international rugby, Borthwick lacks experienced scrum-halves, with Ben Spencer, Harry Randall, and Jack van Poortvliet next in line.
Maro Itoje sustained a knee injury in Saracens' victory over Sale, but while he will miss Saracens' match against Exeter on Sunday, his director of rugby, Mark McCall, has downplayed concerns about Itoje's fitness for England's autumn campaign. "There's no structural damage at all, so it's as minor as it gets. Just a bit of bruising and swelling, which will subside. We expect him to be available the week after," said McCall. Joe Marler and Henry Slade are also dealing with foot and shoulder injuries, respectively, and have not played since England's summer tour of New Zealand. Alex Dombrandt is struggling with a hand injury, while Tom Curry will miss Sale's match against Gloucester due to a concussion sustained at the start of the season.
In a more positive note for Borthwick, Bath has announced that Sam Underhill has fully recovered from ankle surgery. The openside flanker, who has started in each of England's last nine Tests, has not played for Bath this season but is available for Saturday's west country derby with Bristol. England will host New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Japan in November, with Borthwick set to name his squad for the autumn series on October 16.
