"He is sore" - Sam Simmonds now likely to miss England's summer tour

“It’s a hip/groin, a combination of a few things. He is sore, he is struggling to train really and that is the problem,” Baxted explained.

“Without him getting all the consultants’ feedback, it’s at what level they think any intervention is required at this stage.

"So I don’t want to say he will definitely be back for England and I don’t want to say he will definitely be back for us at the end of the season because I don’t think it is as simple a prognosis as that.”

Earlier in the week, Northampton were unable to offer a return date for the dislocated thumb injury suffered by Courtney Lawes where the bone, according to director of rugby Chris Boyd, came out through the skin.

Below, we look at three players who will almost definitely not travel whether due to injury or personal choice.

The 28-year-old Watson is recovering from a serious knee injury sustained in October, but the prolific Lion has been considering his next career move during the rehab process.

He has been linked to former club London Irish, Wasps and Sale, but the Tigers are regarded as favourites to sign him. Sale announced yesterday that they are bringing in another wing, Exeter’s Tom O’Flaherty, at the end of this season.

Reports suggest he won't be fit for down under and will instead look to have a full pre-season with a view to returning to the England fold in the Autumn.

Marler has reportedly withdrawn himself from England's plans for the three-Test tour of Australia.

The decision to skip the tour looks unlikely to affect his England prospects after he missed the same tour by choice back in 2016.

Replacement: Raffi Quirke

It's unlikely that the scrum-half will travel to Australia due to personal reasons after he pulled out of the 2021 Lions tour. As a result, it would be great to get a better look at exciting playmaker Raffi Quirke following his impressive cameo appearances during the Autumn Nations Series.