Statement: England star ruled out of Calcutta Clash, replacement has been confirmed

Sunday, 18 February 2024 at 17:29

byRugby Rucker

England's hopes of Calcutta Cup glory have taken a hit as scrum-half Alex Mitchell faces a setback, ruled out of the crucial clash against Scotland due to a knee issue.

The Rugby Football Union disclosed Mitchell's absence, citing a need for additional assessment before determining his comeback timeline.

Stepping into the fray is Harry Randall, summoned to Steve Borthwick's 36-man training roster as Mitchell's stand-in.

Meanwhile, the battle for the number nine spot intensifies, with Danny Care and Ben Spencer vying for selection as England's pivot in the upcoming Murrayfield showdown.

England squad (vs Scotland, Saturday)
Forwards (20):
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Coles (Northampton Saints)
Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks)
Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Charlie Ewels (Bath Rugby)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Joe Marler (Harlequins)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Beno Obano (Bath Rugby)
Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)
Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)

Backs (16):
Danny Care (Harlequins)
Elliot Daly (Saracens)
Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby)
Harry Randall (Bristol Bears)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby)
Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
Manu Tuilagi (Sale Sharks)

Marcus Smith (Harlequins) will join the squad to continue his rehabilitation from injury.

The 40 greatest England players of all time have been ranked in controversial list

Scroll down to discover the 40 greatest rugby players of all time, as chosen by fans.

40 best English rugby players of all-time

#40. Mike Teague

#39. Wade Dooley

#38. Manu Tuilagi

Manu Tuilagi of England during the Autumn Nations Match between England and Tonga at Twickenham Stoop on 6 November 2021. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK

#37. Dylan Hartley

#36. Trevor Woodman

#35. Kyran Bracken

#34. Billy Vunipola

#33. Joe Marler

Joe Marler of England Rugby during the Six Nations Championship match between England and Wales at Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham, London on February 26th 2021. - PHOTO: Phil Mingo/PPAUK

#32. Steve Thompson

#31. Will Carling

#30. Josh Lewsey

#29. Rocky Clark

#28. Lewis Moody

Lewis Moody shares a joke with Mike Tindall - Photo mandatory by-line:Phil Mingo/Pinnacle - Tel: +44(0)1363 881025 - Mobile:0797 1270 681 - VAT Reg No: 768 6958 48 - 19/03/2011 - RUBY UNION - RBS Six Nations - Ireland v England - Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Ireland

#27. Ben Cohen

#26. Matt Dawson

#25. Ben Youngs

Ben Youngs of England on the break to go over for a try during the Autumn Nations Match between England and Tonga at Twickenham Stoop on 6 November 2021. Photo: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK

#24. Mike Tindall

#23. Rob Andrew

#22. Brian Moore

#21. Bill Beaumont

#20. Maro Itoje

Woodward wants Maro Itoje back in the second-row

#19. Will Greenwood

#18. Jonny May

Jonny May of England is tackled by Mark Telea of New Zealand during the Autumn International Series match between England and New Zealand at Twickenham, London on 19 November 2022 (Photo: Micah Crook/PPAUK)

#17. Dean Richards

#16. David Duckham

#15. Neil Back

#14. Fran Cotton

#13. Jeremy Guscott

#12. Emily Scarratt

#11. Owen Farrell

Owen Farrell of England takes a penalty kick during the Autumn International Series match between England and New Zealand at Twickenham, London on 19 November 2022 (Photo: Micah Crook/PPAUK)

#10. Rory Underwood

#9. Phil Vickery

#8. Peter Winterbottom

#7. Richard Hill

#6. Jason Robinson

#5. Sarah Hunter

#4. Jason Leonard

#3. Lawrence Dallaglio

#2. Jonny Wilkinson

#1. Martin Johnson