Billy Vunipola underwent knee surgery on Thursday and it is hoped he will be able to return within the first two weeks of July. Credit: David Rogers/Getty Images
Billy Vunipola has avoided the worst-case scenario with a knee injury, leaving the No. 8 man with a chance at the World Championship later this year.
Vunipolu was carried away on a stretcher during the first half of Saracens' 24-10 loss to La Rochelle last Sunday and will miss the remainder of his club's Premier League campaign following surgery on Thursday .
The time frame has remained fluid, but it is believed that the 30-year-old could be fully ready in the first two weeks of July, about a month before the first World Cup warm-up in England. game against Wales.
Steve Borthwick completely ignored Vunipola in his first Six Nations campaign as England head coach, leaving Vunipola out of the squad and sending Alex Dombrandt into the scrum for all five matches. However, it is clear, despite reports of a historic spat between the pair, that Borthwick is keeping an open mind on Vunipole with the 68th match.
The 30-year-old was one of the Saracens' most influential men on his way to an 11-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Indeed, in the camp before the World Championships there will be fierce competition only for 8th place. Sam Simmonds led the Exeter Chiefs to the Champions Cup semi-finals against future club Montpellier and the Stormers.
Despite what Steve Borthwick overlooked, Vunipola played an influential role in The Saracens' The rebirth of the Premier League. Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
In addition to Dombrandt and Vunipola, Zach Mercer and Tom Willis will return to Premier League clubs Montpellier and Union Bordeaux Begle respectively. Versatile back rowers such as Lewis Ludlam and Ben Earl are also capable of covering the position.
England are set to name an expanded training squad that will begin assembling on 11 June, when those not in the Premier League playoffs will have a five-week holiday period. The rest of Borthwick's group will arrive within three weeks, with the Premier League finalists joining on 2 July.
Since the final round of the regular season matches in the top 14 will not take place until May 28, the playoffs will continue until the competition finals, which will be held on June 17. Toulouse could connect with England, probably also on 2 July. Toulouse will be looking to reach the playoffs and Bordeaux will be after him.
August 5 will see the first of England's four warm-up tests as they travel to Cardiff. They will then host Wales next weekend before playing Ireland in Dublin and then Fiji at Twickenham on consecutive Saturdays.
Four years ago, Eddie Jones named his final squad for the World Championship on August 12, between the second and third of four warm-up matches. This time around, England will start their tournament against Argentina on September 9 in Marseille before playing Japan, Chile and Samoa to complete their pool schedule.
Given the team's habit of fading late in Borthwick's first Six Nations, suffering final slips in each of their three defeats to Scotland, France and Ireland, the importance of Aled Walters' arrival as England's new captain seems enormous. Ready to join England from Leicester Tigers, the Welshman is reigning World Cup champions after a successful run in South Africa and will enjoy a lengthy training block; such a rare occurrence in international rugby union.
Walters will also likely have an important role to play in managing the rehabilitation of any players called up to the team with injuries. Ollie Chessum and Luke Cowan-Dickey could fall into that category, along with Wunipola.
The mainstay of England reaching the final of the last World Cup in 2019 when Borthwick was a striker. A coach under Jones, Vunipola could also improve his case for a recall due to the impending arrival of Richard Wigglesworth. The longtime Saracens midfielder and longtime Vunipola teammate will take up his duties as assistant manager of England at the end of Leicester's Premier League season.
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