England's Six Nations Preparations Disrupted by Significant Injury Setback
England's build-up to the forthcoming Six Nations championship has encountered a substantial obstacle with the news that prop Fin Baxter is scheduled to undergo foot surgery, casting serious doubt over his participation in the tournament's initial stages.
Baxter's Procedure and Squad Implications
The 23-year-old loosehead prop, who last featured for Harlequins on 14 December, was originally slated to join head coach Steve Borthwick's training squad in Girona this week. This camp is crucial preparation for England's opening Six Nations fixture against Wales at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium on 7 February. Instead, Baxter will now undergo a medical procedure that appears likely to sideline him for the early rounds of the competition.
This development represents another significant challenge for Borthwick's front-row resources. The injury list already includes tighthead props Will Stuart, ruled out with an achilles issue, and Asher Opoku-Fordjour, who is recovering from a shoulder injury. This leaves Trevor Davison and uncapped Vilikesa Sela as backup options behind Joe Heyes in the tighthead position.
Additional Squad Adjustments and Rehabilitating Players
Further compounding the selection headaches, flanker Ben Curry will also not travel to the Spanish training camp. Jack Kenningham has received a call-up to the England squad as Curry continues his rehabilitation programme with Sale Sharks.
On the loosehead side, Bevan Rodd and Emmanuel Iyogun remain available alongside Ellis Genge, who has been delivering outstanding performances for Bristol Bears this season.
Harlequins coach Jason Gilmore expressed cautious optimism about Baxter's potential involvement later in the tournament following his team's defeat to Leicester last Saturday. "I know he went in with the England medical staff this week to see how the foot is," Gilmore stated. "I think he'll feature in the Six Nations, but when that is, I'm not too sure."
Other Players on the Recovery Path
A group of rehabilitating players, including wing Tom Roebuck, fly half Fin Smith, and centre Ollie Lawrence, have been called up to the Girona training camp. While all three are considered touch-and-go for the Wales encounter, Borthwick has not completely ruled out their availability.
"The fact we're taking them out to this camp shows that they're not far away from being back on the grass," the England head coach explained. "I think they've got a chance. For the Wales Test match, I think it would be tight. We'd need the rehab to go really well and tick all the boxes through the process. It's tight but I think they're all within a shot of it."
This injury news creates considerable uncertainty around England's pack composition as they approach their championship opener, with medical assessments and recovery timelines now becoming critical factors in Borthwick's selection strategy.
