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England dealt injury blow as Underhill set to miss Six Nations with injury

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Clock IconJan 11, 2025Rugby Union

Sam Underhill is set to miss out on England’s Six Nations squad after being referred for surgery on an ankle injury.

The flanker injured his ankle in Bath's 35-34 defeat against Northampton on Sunday, aggravating the same joint that he damaged during England’s autumn campaign.

Bath issued a medical update to say he will "undergo surgery to rectify a new ankle injury" with there being "no set timeframe on his recovery".

After being overlooked for England's World Cup squad in 2023, Underhill re-established himself last year by starting throughout the Six Nations and in all three Tests on the summer tour to Japan and New Zealand.

It was also an ankle injury which kept Underhill, who has been capped 40 times, out of Steve Borthwick's side's opening two autumn Tests against New Zealand and Australia.

It is the latest injury setback for Borthwick, who looks set to be without wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso for the entire tournament because of a dislocated shoulder, while full-back George Furbank is struggling with a broken arm.

Flanker Ollie Chessum is closing in on his comeback from a knee injury, however, while scrum-half Alex Mitchell has fully recovered from a neck problem.

Borthwick is due to name his England squad on Tuesday ahead of their opening game against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium on February 1.