Danny Care has been omitted from England’s first training squad of the autumn with Ben Youngs returning after sitting out the July tour to Australia.
Care’s international comeback appears to be over following the 2-1 series victory over the Wallabies having been replaced in the first half of the Sydney decider because of an error-strewn display.
Jack van Poortvliet and Alex Mitchell join Youngs as the scrum-halves in the 36-man squad but Harry Randall, another nine who travelled to Australia, is absent.
Centre Joe Marchant is also culled having failed to impress Down Under but there is a return for Manu Tuilagi, who has recovered from a knee injury.
Even at this stage of the season Eddie Jones is without a number of senior players because of injuries with George Ford, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Sam Underhill and Anthony Watson unavailable.
Available for selection but not included among the group who will take part in the three-day camp in London that starts on Sunday are props Kyle Sinckler and Joe Marler.
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) September 26, 2022
Jones explained the decision to leave out Bristol forward Sinckler and Exeter centre Henry Slade was to allow them to continue their comebacks from respective back and shoulder issues that forced them to miss the summer tour.
“We just feel that at the moment Kyle is best served by getting some good, consistent training in with his squad,” Jones said.
“You’ve got to remember that for this camp we’ve only got the boys for two training sessions, so rather than disrupt the pattern we’re allowing Kyle to train with his club and be in a bit of a routine.
“We want to see that progression from him going forward, to get himself right, and Henry Slade is a bit the same.”
Care was replaced in the 37th minute of the final Test in Sydney, but Jones denied it means the end of his international career.
“Well let’s get something right, we didn’t pull him off. We had a plan for that game,” Jones said.
“Danny was taken off at the appropriate time, he did a great job for us. He just started playing again yesterday (Sunday) and we want him to find his form with Harlequins.”
England Autumn Training Squad
Forwards: O Chessum (Leicester Tigers), A Coles (Northampton Saints), L Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs), T Curry (Sale Sharks), E Genge (Bristol Bears), J George (Saracens), J Heyes (Leicester Tigers), J Hill (Sale Sharks), L Ludlam (Northampton Saints), T Pearson (London Irish), D Ribbans (Northampton Saints), B Rodd (Sale Sharks), P Schickerling (Exeter Chiefs), S Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs), W Stuart (Bath Rugby), H Tizard (Saracens), B Vunipola (Saracens), M Vunipola (Saracens), J Walker (Harlequins), J Willis (Wasps).
Backs: H Arundell (London Irish,), J Cokanasiga (Bath Rugby), F Dingwall (Northampton Saints), O Farrell (Saracens), T Freeman (Northampton Saints), G Furbank (Northampton Saints), W Joseph (London Irish), J May (Gloucester Rugby), A Mitchell (Northampton Saints), J Nowell (Exeter Chiefs), G Porter (Leicester Tigers), M Smith (Harlequins), F Steward (Leicester Tigers), M Tuilagi (Sale Sharks), J van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers), B Youngs (Leicester Tigers).