Kyle Sinckler injury adds to England’s World Cup build-up turmoil

Kyle Sinckler is the latest injury headache for the England head coach Steve Borthwick, the Guardian understands, as his side’s preparations for the tournament continue to be hit by turmoil.

It is understood Sinckler has a chest issue that has ruled him out of Saturday’s match with Fiji. England are said to be optimistic over his chances of being ready for the start of the World Cup campaign but he joins Elliot Daly (knee) and Tom Curry (ankle) as players who will need to prove their fitness before the opening match against Argentina on 9 September.

Joe Heyes, the Leicester tighthead prop, who was not included in the 33-man World Cup squad was spotted at training on Friday in a demonstration of the precautions being taken with Sinckler. Joe Cokanasiga was also seen at Twickenham as doubts persist over Daly.

On Thursday Borthwick confirmed that Anthony Watson had joined Jack van Poortvliet in withdrawing from the squad through injury while there are also doubts over Henry Arundell (back) and George Martin (knee). With Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola also suspended England’s World Cup campaign is in crisis and Sinckler’s issue only compounds matters for Borthwick.

Sinckler started all five of England’s Six Nations matches and having been troubled by an ongoing back injury last year, insisted that he was fighting fit on the eve of England’s first warm-up match against Wales in Cardiff after “the first pre-season I’ve had in my career that I’ve completed without being injured” but it appears his luck has run out.

Borthwick will finalise his final World Cup squad on Monday – World Rugby’s deadline for submission – with Jonny May expected to take Watson’s place. He has opted against doing so before this weekend given the desperate run of luck England are having with injuries.

“I have no doubt there’s going to be more injuries, for every team,” said Borthwick. “We are going through our time now of having bangs and bruises, we are going through our time now of having a couple of disciplinary processes. Every team is going to go through it, and if I could choose my time to go through it, it would probably be now rather than when we’re out in France.”