Steve Borthwick confirms Maro Itoje won't play for England until further notice

Itoje was omitted from England’s latest training squad and will not feature in Friday’s uncapped fixture against a France XV in Vannes. His absence comes after months of discussions between player and management over his workload following an intense period that included the Six Nations, the British & Irish Lions tour and the death of his mother last November.

Speaking ahead of England’s summer campaign, Borthwick revealed the intention has long been to allow Itoje a different kind of off-season.

“There’s been an ongoing conversation regarding Maro and whether he’s part of the England squad this summer,” said Borthwick.

“As you can see by the fact that he’s not in the squad, and was only in one day of the last alignment camp, it’s certainly an intention that Maro has an opportunity for a different type of summer.”

When asked whether the 31-year-old could miss matches against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, Borthwick replied: “Absolutely, I think that’s very realistic.”

Itoje has been one of England’s most influential players since making his debut in 2016 and recently became just the eighth player to reach 100 caps for the national side. His 102 appearances place him among England’s most-capped internationals of all time.

Despite the prospect of missing the entire summer schedule, Borthwick insisted Itoje is fully supportive of the plan.

“We’ve talked to Maro at length, and he’s fully on board with our thinking of where we are at this point in time.”

A final decision on Itoje’s involvement is expected after Friday’s England XV clash with France and Saturday’s Premiership final.

Since rugby turned professional in 1995, England have had a host of captains lead the team through World Cups, Grand Slams, Lions tours and some of the biggest moments in the sport's history.

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