Bath’s Olly Barkley could miss England’s crucial RBS 6 Nations showdown at Lansdowne Road next Sunday after the player sustained a calf injury on Thursday.
Barkley, who played in the centre during England’s 18-17 defeat to France at Twickenham last week, was due to start Bath’s West Country clash against Gloucester today.
But the 23-year-old failed to complete a club training session yesterday morning.
Bath head coach John Connolly had also hoped Barkley would pass a late fitness test ahead of the Zurich Premiership clash – but the player was not given the all-clear.
A Bath spokesperson said: “At the moment we believe Olly has tweaked his calf muscle but he will be going for scans at a hospital in Bath tomorrow which will give us a clearer picture.”
With two defeats out of two for reigning world champions England in this season’s Six Nations the news of Barkley’s injury will come as a massive blow for head coach Andy Robinson.
Robinson already has a side awash with injured players, including Mike Tindall, Jonny Wilkinson and Richard Hill.