England wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss the entire Six Nations after dislocating his shoulder while on club duty in Exeter last month.
Fay-Waboso will undergo surgery on a damaged joint against Sale on December 21, which will keep him out for about three months, the PA news agency reported.
The 22-year-old is one of England’s most dangerous players with five tries in eight games and, if fit, would have been an automatic selection for the Six Nations opener against Ireland on February 1.
In addition to a setback to Steve Borthwick’s hopes of overseeing a revival in the Championship after a poor autumn, Feyi-Waboso was rejected at the most important stage in pressuring his claim for selection for the British and Irish Lions.
Andy Farrell took the Lions to Australia this summer and the Chiefs finisher has become a frontrunner for one of the back three spots thanks to his impact since making his Test debut in last year’s Six Nations.
He will also miss games against South Africa and Japan in November after suffering a concussion against Australia.
His absence stretches England’s back three resources as George Furbank is likely to miss the start of the Championship with a broken arm.
Ollie Sleightholme and Tom Roebuck will compete to fill the vacancy on the wing, but the former limped off to Northampton’s win over Bath on Sunday.
Borthwick named his squad for next Tuesday’s Six Nations, with the manager tasked with turning England’s fortunes around as scrutiny grows over his position after a disappointing 2024.
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