England international Sam Underhill is unlikely to play any part in the Six Nations after his club Bath revealed he required ankle surgery.
Underhill suffered the injury when he came on as a substitute in Sunday's 35-34 loss to Northampton, and with no date set for his return, it appears that he will miss the entire tournament.
A Bath medical update said: “Sam will undergo surgery to correct a new ankle injury. There is no specific time frame for recovery.”
England have a good back-row but the loss of Underhill is still a huge blow for head coach Steve Borthwick.
After being overlooked in England's World Cup squad in 2023, the 28-year-old 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.
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Highlights of the second Test between New Zealand and England in the Summer International at Eden Park in July.
An ankle problem suffered during the tour required surgery, delaying his start to the new season and forcing him to miss the first two matches of the autumn against the All Blacks and Australia.
But he was restored to the open side during the clashes with South Africa and Japan that ended the season, scoring a try in every match and impressing with his overall play.
Underhill, who has won 40 caps, is a physical force in the England squad, especially in defence, where he is among the most destructive forwards in the game.
Underhill has fought back to become key man under Borthwick but now faces a spell
It is the latest injury setback for Borthwick, who looks set to miss winger Emmanuel Faye-Wabuso for the entire tournament with a dislocated shoulder, while full-back George Furbank suffers a broken arm.
Flanker Ollie Chessum is closing in on his return from a knee injury, while halfback Alex Mitchell has fully recovered from a neck problem.
Borthwick names his Six Nations squad on Tuesday and faces a tough opening match against Ireland in Dublin on February 1.
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