Injury-prone centre Manu Tuilagi has been named in a revised England training squad for their mid-year Tests against the USA and Canada.
Tuilagi is three games into his comeback from the achilles injury sustained in September and is the only senior player to be selected in the 36-strong group that will continue preparations at the Lensbury.
He was unavailable for England’s Autumn Nations Cup and Six Nations campaigns but the centre could now feature in next month’s Tests, which are preceded by a second-string international against Scotland A.
The squad has been strengthened by players from losing Premiership semi-finalists Sale and Bristol, while no Saracens players have yet been called up.
The seven players brought into the squad are Will Capon, Max Malins and Harry Randall from Bristol Bears and Sale Sharks’ Ben Curry, Curtis Langdon, Bevan Rodd and Tuilagi.
Saracens’ Vunipola has joined George Ford, Ben Youngs, Jonny May and Mark Wilson in being rested, while England have supplied 12 players to the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.
Commenting on his updated squad, Eddie Jones said: “We had a really good training week last week. We’ve now added some new players and are looking forward to working with them.
“The players who aren’t with us now acquitted themselves really well in training and though they are disappointed to go home, we’ve made the point to them that if they keep working hard then there will be more opportunities for them.
“We will treat the week as a Test week, everyone will work hard and be ready for a competitive game on Sunday.”
England squad
Forwards – Jamie Blamire, Will Capon, Callum Chick, Ben Curry, Trevor Davison, Charlie Ewels, Ellis Genge, Joe Heyes, Paul Hill, Ted Hill, Curtis Langdon, Lewis Ludlam, Lewis Ludlow, Joshua McNally, George Martin, Chunya Munga, Beno Obano, Miles Reid, Bevan Rodd, Sam Underhill, Harry Wells.
Backs – Josh Bassett, Joe Cokanasiga, George Furbank, Dan Kelly, Ollie Lawrence, Max Malins, Alex Mitchell, Max Ojomoh, Adam Radwan, Harry Randall, Dan Robson, Ollie Sleightholme, Freddie Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Jacob Umaga.
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