England are sweating over the fitness of prop Ellis Genge ahead of their tour for New Zealand with the Bristol Bears loosehead facing a scan on a calf injury.
Genge was helped off during Bristol’s win over Harlequins on the final day of the Premiership season after going down after a first-half scrum.
The 29-year-old was placed in a moon boot and seen on crutches at the full-time whistle, with a scan scheduled to determine the severity of the issue.
“He popped a calf in the scrum,” Bristol boss Pat Lam said afterwards. “We don’t know how bad it is, but for him to come off and be in a moon boot after is a sign.
“We don’t know exactly how long it will be. Hopefully for England it won’t be as bad as it looks.”
The prop made a speedy recovery from a hamstring issue ahead of the Six Nations to feature in four games for Steve Borthwick’s side.
The experienced front-rower started the final three games of the campaign after coming off the bench to replace Joe Marler in the win over Wales.
England are set to name their first training squad ahead of summer Tests against Japan and New Zealand on Sunday, before Borthwick confirms his touring party on Monday 10 June, after the Premiership final.
Were Genge to be unavailable, it would be a major blow with the prop a key carrier, scrum-time cog and leader within the squad.
Marler would be in line to start in his stead, though the veteran Harlequin was sometimes unwilling to tour under Eddie Jones, instead spending time with his family.
His club teammate Fin Baxter is thought to be in line for a first call-up after an impressive season at the Stoop, while Bevan Rodd and Beno Obano have been squad members in the recent past and are in good form for Sale and Bath respectively.
The highly-rated Asher Opoku-Fordjour has also been consisdered as a loosehead prospect by England, though the Sale teenager told The Independent recently that he prefers to play tighthead.
Northampton’s Tarek Haffar and Newcastle’s Phil Brantingham, who is bound for Saracens, were also namechecked by Borthwick at his Six Nations squad naming in January.
England take on Japan in Tokyo on June 22, before a two-Test series against the All Blacks on July 6 and 13.
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