"Pulled out" - Three England stars who WON'T be going to Australia

Exeter Chiefs boss Rob Baxter has confirmed the dynamic number 8 will miss England's tour of Australia in July as he needs surgery on a hip injury.

The 27-year-old, who broke the Premiership single-season try-scoring record last term, featured in all five of England's Six Nations games this year.

"It's been a niggly hip injury that's been causing him pain," Baxter said.

"The restrictive thing has been the pain, not so much the function.

"If he gets this sorted now that means he can have a good recovery time and a good pre-season, and it's a huge year for anybody who's got international ambitions next year, it being a World Cup year.

"So in some ways it'll really help him get himself to the level he was a couple of years ago when he was banging tries in from everywhere.

"He'll want to follow that through because that's what led to his international and Lions recognition."

It's unlikely that the scrum-half will travel to Australia due to personal reasons a year 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.

Marler has reportedly withdrawn himself from England's plans for the three-Test tour of Australia.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