England could reportedly rest captain Maro Itoje for their Nations Championship matches in July.
According to The Telegraph, Itoje is among several senior players being considered for a break during the international window.
England begin their Nations Championship campaign against the Springboks at Ellis Park on 4 July, before travelling to Argentina to face Los Pumas and then returning to England to host Fiji.
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England coach Steve Borthwick is set to name an extended training squad on Monday, but Itoje may sit out one or more fixtures even if he attends the initial training camp.
The Saracens lock has again carried a heavy workload this season after also exceeding the RFU’s recommended player welfare limits over the previous two campaigns.
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Itoje has already played 20 matches for club and country this season despite battling lingering concussion effects from the British & Irish Lions tour, as well as a knee injury.
The 31-year-old also endured a difficult Six Nations campaign.
After arriving late to England’s Girona training camp following the death of his mother, Itoje started the tournament opener against Wales on the bench and struggled for rhythm during defeats to Scotland and Ireland.
He was later shown a costly yellow card during England’s shock loss to Italy – their first ever defeat to the Azzurri.
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Borthwick admitted during the tournament that Itoje lacked match sharpness early on, although the lock finished strongly with an influential 80-minute performance against France.
He has since returned to top form for Saracens as the Premiership club pushes for a playoff place.
Photo: Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra
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