Joe Marler’s complex biceps injury could leave England blooding a Test rookie prop in the Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome.
Experienced front-rower Marler remains in the dark over the extent of the problem he suffered in Harlequins’ Premiership win over Gloucester on December 30.
The 33-year-old will miss Quins’ Champions Cup trip to Cardiff on Saturday and may not yet be fit to play again before England’s Six Nations opener on February 3.
Bristol’s Ellis Genge faces a race against time to recover from a hamstring problem to start the Six Nations, while Bevan Rodd will miss the tournament after foot surgery.
Mako Vunipola will be available, but the Saracens stalwart is suspended and cannot play before the Italy match.
“Joe is a week-by-week process to make a full assessment of the time frame,” said Quins’ head coach Danny Wilson. “He is not going to play this weekend, that is clear, but what I can’t give is a time frame. There have been a few twists and turns with it.”
England could well turn to Marler’s 21-year-old Quins colleague Fin Baxter, though Bath’s Beno Obano, Northampton’s Tarek Haffar and Newcastle’s Phil Brantingham are also on the radar.
