England could be without star striker Ollie Chessum for the entire Autumn Nations Series, with the Leicester man picking up a knock in training.

Chessum has been a key part of the England squad since his debut in 2022 and was one of the first 17 players to land a new enhanced Elite Player Squad (EPS) contract earlier this week, but has struggled with injuries in recent seasons.

He missed England’s tour of Japan and New Zealand due to shoulder surgery and has also suffered from ankle problems over the past year.

Chessum in doubt for Autumn Nations Series

Get along Chessum will undergo a scan on a knee injury picked up during an England training session in Girona and could be out for up to three months.

That would rule him out of all four of England’s November Tests against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan and also leave him in a potential race against time to be fit for the Six Nations early next year.

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Chessum has been in outstanding form for Leicester in the early stages of the Premiership season and has also captained them in Julian Montoya’s absence.

His form would probably have seen him starting with England XV for the opening test of the autumn against the All Blacks, either at lock or blindside flanker.

Michael Cheika, the coach of the Chessum club, also intervened in the injury; saying “he will return with a vengeance” on his return.

“It’s disappointing but the boys have to train, they have to prepare for the season. It happens. If you’re going to play football, it can happen,” Cheika said after the Tigers’ win over Saracens.

“I don’t know the full extent of what happened. But all I know is that Ollie Chessum is a warrior.

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“He will already be planning his return, no matter when it is. I’m sure he’ll be back with a vengeance next time.

“Once I get a chance to see it, I’ll know a little bit more, but these things happen.”

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Chessum’s injury now deepens the problems in the England team. Full-back Alex Mitchell will miss all of November’s Tests with a neck injury, while George Ford and Fraser Dingwall are also on the sidelines at the moment. However, there was some positive news for Ford, with assistant coach Richard Wigglesworth confirming he is in the final stages of his rehabilitation.

Henry Slade is another player expected to be a doubt for the opening match against New Zealand, but he will play in Sunday’s Premiership match between Exeter and Harlequins to prove he is ready to start next weekend.

If Borthwick chooses to bring in a new face to replace Chessum, he has plenty of options at his disposal. Second, Alex Coles is the most likely favorite following his return to fitness, as is Saracens in-form man Hugh Tizard.

In the back row, where Chessum is also an option, the likes of Ted Hill, Ethan Roots, Jack Kenningham, Tom Pearson or even the fiery Tom Willis are all options that can come in.

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