- Centre has not played all season due to shoulder injury but returns on Saturday
- Alex Lozowski, who has not played Test since 2018, is leading candidate to fill in
- Experienced fly-half George Ford also returned to training after a quad injury
Henry Slade will fly home early from England’s training camp in Spain in a quest to be ready for next week’s Test against the All Blacks.
The centre has not played this season due to a shoulder injury but he will make his comeback on Sunday in Exeter’s game against Harlequins.
Slade underwent surgery after the second Test in New Zealand in June and his return is a major boost for his club, who are yet to win a game this season.
‘Henry is going to go back because both he and we are keen for him to get some minutes on the weekend,’ said England coach Richard Wigglesworth. ‘He’s going to train with Exeter, and then get some game-time this weekend.
‘He’s really experienced now and he’s had quality competition. How many caps is he on now? 65.
Henry Slade will fly home early from England’s training camp in Spain in a quest to be ready for next week’s Test against the All Blacks
The centre has not played this season due to a shoulder injury but he will make his comeback on Sunday in Exeter’s game against Harlequins
Experienced fly-half George Ford has also returned to training after suffering a quad injury
‘It helps being experienced. You see he is a really senior man in that Exeter team which I think has added to his game.
‘He’s an important part of the teams in which he plays, and that’s testament to how he has kept growing. It’s easy to stand still and he hasn’t done that. He’s important to us.’
England’s coaching team are confident Slade’s experience will allow him to slot straight back into the team if he comes through Sunday’s fixture.
Alex Lozowski, who has not played a Test since 2018, is the leading candidate to fill in if he is not ready for the series opener.
Experienced fly-half George Ford has also returned to training after suffering a quad injury, but the No10 is unlikely to be rushed back ahead of Marcus Smith and Fin Smith.
Ford is unlikely to be rushed back ahead of Marcus Smith
Alex Lozowski, who has not played a Test since 2018, is the leading candidate to fill in if Slade is not ready for the series opener
‘George Ford is on the last stages of his rehab, so he’s getting involved in a lot of rugby,’ added Wigglesworth.
‘He felt really good straight away, and he’s very diligent with what he does.
‘He’s been smashing all the markers that he needs to. It would be a fair summary that he is ahead of schedule.’
