England star Ollie Chessum faces a race against time to be fit and ready for this autumn's Rugby World Cup taking place in France.
The 22-year-old lock has impressed head coach Steve Borthwick during the Six Nations, but dislocated his ankle during training this week. The Leicester Tigers star will undergo surgery on Monday and could be out for up to six months.
England have had an indifferent start to life under Borthwick in the Six Nations, beating Wales and Italy but losing to Scotland and France. They face Ireland on Saturday evening before World Cup preparations get fully underway - with under six months until their first group match against Argentina on September 9.