Manu Tuilagi will miss the opening game of England’s autumn series with a minor groin strain.
The Leicester Tigers had been selected among the replacements in his first England matchday squad appearance since 2016 but his place now goes to Chris Ashton.
“Manu picked up a very minor strain to his groin yesterday during training,” said England scrum coach Neal Hatley.
“We are expecting him to be right for New Zealand week. If tomorrow was a World Cup Final then we probably would have kept him in.”
England open the Quilter Internationals against South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday before Tests against New Zealand, Japan and Australia over the next month.
England: Elliot Daly, Jack Nowell, Henry Slade, Ben Te’o, Jonny May; Owen Farrell (co-captain), Ben Youngs; Alec Hepburn, Dylan Hartley (co-captain), Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Brad Shields, Tom Curry, Mark Wilson
Replacements: Jamie George, Ben Moon, Harry Williams, Charlie Ewels, Zach Mercer, Danny Care, George Ford, Chris Ashton
South Africa: Damian Willemse, Sbu Nkosi, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Aphiwe Dyantyi; Handre Pollard, Ivan van Zyl; Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (captain), Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Thomas du Toit, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Lood de Jager, Embrose Papier, Elton Jantjies, Andre Esterhuizen