England are facing an anxious wait over the fitness of British & Irish Lions pair Tommy Freeman and Ollie Chessum ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster Test against New Zealand at Twickenham.
Both players picked up injuries in last weekend’s 38-18 win over Fiji, and neither took part in Monday’s training session – raising doubts about their availability for the All Blacks clash.
Freeman, who has been a key figure in England’s nine-match winning streak, left the field in the 67th minute with a hamstring strain, paving the way for Henry Arundell’s late try-scoring cameo.
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Chessum also failed to finish the match after suffering a foot injury and was later spotted on crutches at England’s Surrey training base.
Head coach Steve Borthwick could therefore be forced into major changes to his starting XV, with both Freeman and Chessum having been nailed-on starters throughout the campaign.
If Freeman is ruled out, Tom Roebuck is expected to return after recovering from an ankle injury, while Arundell may again provide bench cover. In the second row, Maro Itoje and Alex Coles are likely to combine should Chessum miss out, with Chandler Cunningham-South the probable call-up.
England were initially set to name their team on Tuesday, but with fitness concerns still unresolved, the announcement may be pushed back to Thursday.
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Borthwick’s men will be aiming to extend their winning run into double figures when they host the All Blacks in what promises to be the highlight of their November campaign.
Photo: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
