Alex Mitchell ruled out of England’s Six Nations campaign with injury

England scrum-half Alex Mitchell has been ruled out of the remainder of the Six Nations campaign after suffering a hamstring injury during the defeat by Ireland.

The Northampton Saints number nine was forced off in the 24th minute of Saturday’s 42-21 loss at Allianz Stadium.

It serves as a significant blow to head coach Steve Borthwick, who has started Mitchell in the national side’s last 10 championship fixtures.

Replacements and squad updates

Leicester Tigers’ Jack van Poortvliet, who replaced Mitchell off the bench at the weekend, is likely to feature heavily moving forward.

Bath captain Ben Spencer remains in the wider squad, while Sale Sharks’ Raffi Quirke has been called up to provide additional cover.

Mitchell’s absence increases the likelihood of a completely new half-back pairing for the match against Italy on 7 March.

George Ford is currently under pressure from rival Fin Smith following an underwhelming display against the Irish.

Lawrence and Furbank assessments

Elsewhere in the squad, centre Ollie Lawrence will miss a two-day training camp this week due to a knee issue.

However, the medical team remains hopeful the powerful midfielder will recover in time for the trip to Rome.

Full-back George Furbank will return to Northampton to play in Saturday’s Premiership Rugby Cup match against Saracens to gain match fitness.

Should he come through that fixture unscathed, the back is in line for a return to the matchday squad following a difficult run of injuries.

Seeking stability in Rome

England entered the tournament with high expectations after 11 successive victories but have seen their title hopes ended by losses to Scotland and Ireland.

Borthwick’s men now head to the Italian capital attempting to regain stability rather than competing for silverware.

While England have won all 32 previous meetings between the sides, the Azzurri have enjoyed an impressive campaign, including a victory over Scotland.