England centre Ollie Lawrence has been ruled out of Saturday's Six Nations encounter against Italy in Rome due to a persistent knee problem.
The Bath midfielder will undergo rehabilitation at his club rather than travel with the squad to the Stadio Olimpico.
His absence represents a significant setback for Steve Borthwick, given Lawrence only returned to international duty seven days ago during the 42-21 defeat to Ireland at Twickenham.
The 26-year-old was not included in the 36-man party announced on Sunday evening as England prepare for their penultimate fixture of the championship.
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Tommy Freeman emerges as the frontrunner to fill the vacancy at outside centre, potentially moving infield from his usual wing position.
Henry Slade of Exeter Chiefs provides an alternative selection for Borthwick as he weighs up his options for the trip to the Italian capital.
The positional switch for Freeman would see him take on a more central role in England's backline for the crucial fixture.
Both players were named in the updated RFU squad, giving the head coach flexibility in how he addresses Lawrence's absence ahead of the match at the Stadio Olimpico.
England centre Ollie Lawrence has been ruled out of Saturday's Six Nations encounter against Italy in Rome due to a persistent knee problem
|GETTY
Lawrence's knee complaint has plagued his entire Six Nations campaign, forcing him to sit out the opening three rounds of the tournament.
His return against Ireland last Saturday marked his first appearance of the championship, but the comeback proved short-lived.
During the week leading up to the Italy fixture, the centre received an injection on the affected joint in an attempt to manage the problem.
However, the treatment has not enabled him to recover sufficiently, with the same injury that sidelined him earlier in the competition now keeping him out of the Rome clash.
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His absence represents a significant setback for Steve Borthwick
|GETTY
Borthwick's side currently sit fourth in the Six Nations standings with two matches remaining in the competition.
England opened their campaign with a comfortable victory over Wales before suffering consecutive defeats to Scotland and Ireland, the latter a comprehensive 42-21 loss.
The team find themselves level on five points with their upcoming opponents, who secured a notable triumph against Scotland before falling to Ireland and France.
Lawrence is not the only key absentee troubling England, with scrum-half Alex Mitchell confirmed out for the remainder of the tournament after sustaining a hamstring injury during the Ireland match, leaving the field after just 24 minutes.
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