England centre Ollie Lawrence appears set to miss Saturday's Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome due to a persistent knee injury. The Bath player, who had an injection on the damaged joint last week, has been left out of the 36-man squad as he continues rehabilitation at England's training base. This setback comes after Lawrence only recently returned from the same injury for the 42-21 defeat to Ireland.

Lawrence's absence is a significant blow to England's midfield options, having missed the first three rounds of the tournament before his brief comeback. Tommy Freeman is now the leading contender to replace him at outside centre, potentially shifting from his usual wing position. Henry Slade also remains an option for head coach Steve Borthwick as England prepare for their penultimate Six Nations fixture.

The injury woes compound England's struggles in this year's championship, following their record defeat to Ireland at Twickenham. With Italy next on the schedule at the Stadio Olimpico, Borthwick must reshuffle his backline while Lawrence aims to recover in time for the final round against France in Paris.