Six Nations 2026 Update: England's Ollie Lawrence Sidelined for Italy clash with Knee Injury
Ollie Lawrence will sit out England’s pivotal Six Nations showdown against Italy in Rome this Saturday due to a knee injury.
The Bath centre, who featured in the heavy 42-21 defeat to Ireland last weekend, has been left out of the 36-man squad preparing to face the Azzurri.
Lawrence skipped England’s two-day training camp last week. After consulting with a medical specialist, the decision was made to rule him out of contention.
Potential reshuffles include Tommy Freeman moving back from the wing to partner Henry Slade in the outside-centre role, with Slade providing another option in the midfield.
Inside centre options feature Gloucester’s Seb Atkinson and Northampton’s Fraser Dingwall, who started the first three Six Nations matches; notably, Max Ojomoh has been omitted from the squad.
Head coach Steve Borthwick now faces a scrum-half dilemma, as Alex Mitchell remains unavailable due to a hamstring issue.
Nevertheless, George Furbank has been named in the squad after being released to join Northampton for the weekend and is anticipated to start at full-back.
Forwards: Ollie Chessum, Arthur Clark, Alex Coles, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry, Theo Dan, Trevor Davison, Ben Earl, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Joe Heyes, Maro Itoje, Jack Kenningham, Emmanuel Iyogun, George Kloska, Guy Pepper, Henry Pollock, Bevan Rodd, Sam Underhill
Backs: Henry Arundell, Seb Atkinson, Elliot Daly, Fraser Dingwall, George Ford, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank, Cadan Murley, Raffi Quirke, Tom Roebuck, Henry Slade, Marcus Smith, Fin Smith, Ben Spencer, Freddie Steward, Jack van Poortvliet
Why it matters: England will need fresh combinations and leadership as they navigate injury setbacks and look to maintain momentum in the tournament. The absence of Lawrence opens up opportunities for several players to stake a claim for a starting spot, while the scrum-half situation adds an extra layer of tactical considerations for Borthwick ahead of kick-off.
Controversy twist: Some analysts argue that England’s selection strategy is too conservative, relying on familiar names rather than promoting younger talent to build depth for the long run. Do you think England should push more aggressively for experimental pairings this weekend, or stick with established combinations? Share your thoughts in the comments.
