England prop Mako Vunipola has suffered yet another setback after being ruled out of the rest of the Six Nations tournament with an ankle injury.

Vunipola is expected to be out for the next 10 weeks and has left the England squad and returned to Premiership side Saracens.

‘It is obviously very disappointing to lose Mako at this stage,’ England head coach Eddie Jones said. ‘He is an important player for us, but it does provide an opportunity for the team to grow.’

The 28-year-old’s injury, suffered in the 44-8 win against France last weekend, comes as a fresh blow to Jones’ side, who have made an excellent start to the competition.

It is particularly cruel on Vunipola, who has returned to the Test arena in good form after missing the November internationals with a calf injury, picking up the Man of the Match award after making 28 tackles in the victory over Ireland.

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