England have been dealt another major injury blow, with Alex Mitchell ruled out of the entire Autumn Internationals.
The Northampton Saints scrum-half was left out of Steve Borthwick's latest squad on Monday, although the full extent of his injury was unclear at the time.
However, The Times now reports that scans have confirmed Mitchell will miss all four of England's November Tests.
It is another bitter blow for the 29-year-old, who has now suffered four separate hamstring injuries in 2026.
Mitchell's absence leaves Borthwick with another selection headache just days before England face Australia in Sunday's Nations Championship opener.
With injuries beginning to pile up, the England boss could hardly have asked for worse timing.
Alex Mitchell – Ruled out for entire autumn
Mitchell suffered his latest hamstring injury just 21 minutes into Northampton's 28-14 victory over Gloucester on Saturday.
The British & Irish Lions scrum-half underwent a scan on Monday, with the results confirming he will miss the entire November campaign.
Jack van Poortvliet is now expected to take over the number nine shirt, with Ben Spencer and Harry Randall competing for a place on the bench.
Fin Smith – Fitness decision on Wednesday
England are also sweating on the fitness of fly-half Fin Smith, who is battling a calf injury.
The 24-year-old missed Northampton's victory over Gloucester and has been spotted sitting out England training.
Borthwick is expected to give Smith until Wednesday to prove he can face Australia.
Should he miss out, George Ford and Marcus Smith are the leading candidates to start at fly-half.
Archie McParland – Could return later this month
Uncapped scrum-half Archie McParland has also been ruled out of Sunday's clash with Australia.
The 20-year-old suffered a calf injury during England's recent training camp and missed Northampton's win over Gloucester.
However, there is hope McParland could recover in time to face Japan on 14 November or New Zealand the following weekend.
His absence has added to England's problems at scrum-half, with Borthwick forced to bring Spencer and Randall into his squad.
Three more England stars ruled out
England will also be without Sam Underhill, Kepueli Tuipulotu and Benhard Janse van Rensburg for the entire November campaign.
Underhill is sidelined with a biceps injury, Tuipulotu has a knee problem, while Janse van Rensburg is unavailable due to concussion.
The growing injury list leaves Borthwick with some difficult decisions as England prepare to face Australia, Japan and New Zealand before the Nations Championship finals weekend.
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Pick Your England XV to Face Australia
Steve Borthwick has some huge selection decisions to make, but who would you pick to face the Wallabies?
With Alex Mitchell ruled out and several other stars battling injuries, England's starting XV is far from settled.
Now it's your turn to take charge. Select your preferred England XV, position by position, and see how your choices compare with other rugby fans.
Have your say below and build your ultimate England starting XV.
