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England's injured XV: Borthwick without 3 Lions and many more stars
By Josh Raisey
England head coach Steve Borthwick has had his share of injuries to contend with over the past month or so.
With every game that has passed this Quilter Nations Series, there has been a gradual trickle of injuries to add to what was already a fairly sizeable list.
Nevertheless, England have still managed to name a strong side to face Argentina this Sunday in the final match of their campaign. So too is their XV of injured players.
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1. Bevan Rodd (10 caps)
Injured playing against Saracens just days before Borthwick named his squad for the autumn.
2. Jamie George (105 caps)
After starting against Australia and the All Blacks, and featuring from the bench against Fiji, the centurion picked up a hamstring injury this week.
3. Val Rapava-Ruskin (0 caps)
Gloucester’s tighthead is uncapped and out of the England picture, but persistent injuries have played a part in that. On this occasion, it is a recurring knee issue that is keeping the 33-year-old sidelined.
4. George Martin (21 caps)
Out of action since February due to a combination of knee and shoulder injuries, the Leicester Tigers lock faces a race to be fit for the 2026 Six Nations after undergoing shoulder surgery in the summer.
5. Ollie Chessum (30 caps)/ Arthur Clark (1 cap)
A foot injury against Fiji has ruled Chessum out of the remainder of the autumn, with no clarity yet as to when he might return.
Clark, meanwhile, who was capped over the summer, picked up a foot injury last month, which has since been operated on.
6. Ted Hill (5 caps)
Bath flanker Hill picked up an ankle injury at the beginning of October, but his head of rugby, Johann van Graan, only expected the injury to sideline him for weeks.
7. Ben Curry (14 caps)
It was touch-and-go as to whether Curry would take part in England’s autumn campaign as he was managing a nagging hamstring problem. He instead underwent surgery last month, handing him a six-week lay-off.
8. Emeka Ilione (0 caps)
Named in England’s preliminary squad for November, Leicester’s Ilione suffered a shoulder injury in the final match for England’s clash with Australia, which will keep him out until the new year.
9. Jack van Poortvliet (21 caps)/ Harry Randall (14 caps)
Van Poortvliet injured his shoulder in Leicester’s loss to Northampton at the beginning of October, just two weeks after Randall suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out until 2026 after going under the knife.
10. Joe Carpenter (1 cap)
Of course, not a fly-half, as that is one area of the field England have remained relatively unscathed. After making his England debut in the summer, the Sale full-back is expected to be out for a while after ankle surgery in October.
11. Gabriel Ibitoye (0 caps)/ Will Muir (2 caps)
A member of Bristol Bears’ lengthy injury list, Ibitoye suffered a hamstring injury in the same match as Randall. He, too, had surgery on the injury, although Pat Lam hasn’t detailed when he is expected to return.
Muir picked up an ankle injury in pre-season, which was operated on at the end of October, and Bath’s Van Graan said it will keep him “out for a number of weeks”.
12. Seb Atkinson (2 caps)
After a promising start to his Test career against Argentina in the summer, Gloucester’s Atkinson was expected to keep hold of the England No.12 jersey, only for an MCL injury suffered against Bath in October to wipe him out for months.
13. Ollie Lawrence (37 caps)
Limped off the field with a hamstring injury in the closing stages of his barnstorming display against the All Blacks last week, and is now unavailable to face the Pumas.
14. Tom Roebuck (8 caps)
A foot injury has ruled Roebuck out of the clash with Felipe Contepomi’s side after a try-scoring display against the All Blacks. That came after missing the Fiji match with an ankle injury.
15. Tommy Freeman (22 caps)
Featured in England’s opening two matches of the autumn, but a hamstring injury has since ruled Freeman out, though the severity of the injury is unclear.
