Paul Hodgson, Luke Narraway and Michael Lipman are to stay with England's training squad in the build-up to the Six Nations opener.
Training squad bolstered ahead of Six Nations opener
Paul Hodgson, Luke Narraway and Michael Lipman are to stay with England's training squad in the build-up to the RBS Six Nations opener against Wales at Twickenham on February 2.
The trio were called up to take part in training last Monday, and it has been confirmed they will be retained in a 33-man squad that assembles in Bath on Sunday evening to prepare for the Wales match.
That is because head coach Brian Ashton has already lost London Irish scrum-half Peter Richards (biceps) and Wasps flanker Joe Worsley (neck) from his original selection.
Richards is out for the entire Six Nations, while Worsley will not be involved in the first two fixtures against Wales and Italy (Feb 10).
Wasps wing Paul Sackey, meanwhile, will join the squad on Sunday subject to being symptom-free after contracting mumps, while Lesley Vainikolo is expected to be fit despite being left out of Gloucester's game against Wasps on Saturday due to a knee injury.
Ashton plans to name his team to play Wales on Tuesday.
England training squad:
Backs: I Balshaw (Gloucester), D Cipriani (Wasps), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), T Flood (Newcastle), A Gomarsall (Harlequins), C Hodgson (Sale Sharks), P Hodgson (London Irish), J Noon (Newcastle), P Sackey (Wasps), D Strettle (Harlequins), M Tait (Newcastle), M Tindall (Gloucester), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), J Wilkinson (Newcastle), L Vainikolo (Gloucester)
Forwards: S Borthwick (Bath), T Croft (Leicester), G Chuter (Leicester), L Deacon (Leicester), N Easter (Harlequins), J Haskell (Wasps), M Lipman (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), L Mears (Bath), L Moody (Leicester), L Narraway (Gloucester), T Payne (Wasps), T Rees (Wasps), M Regan (Bristol), S Shaw (Wasps), A Sheridan (Sale Sharks), M Stevens (Bath), P Vickery (Wasps, capt)
England Saxons training squad for game against Ireland A:
Backs: N Abendanon (Bath), A Allen (Gloucester), D Armitage (London Irish), M Brown (Harlequins), L Dickson (Newcastle), S Geraghty (London Irish), J Grindal (Newcastle), R Lamb (Gloucester), J Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester), T Varndell (Leicester)
Forwards: J Crane (Leicester), P Dowson (Newcastle), D Hartley (Northampton), J Hobson (Bristol), N Kennedy (London Irish), M Lund (Sale Sharks), D Paice (London Irish), T Palmer (Wasps), W Skinner (Harlequins), B Skirving (Saracens), G Skivington (Wasps), D Wilson (Newcastle), N Wood (Gloucester), B Woods (Newcastle)
