England Lose Pepper and Van Rensburg as Fin Smith's Fitness Is Checked

England have lost two players for their entire autumn series, and their fly-half position is now in doubt before the Australia match.

Flanker Guy Pepper, who plays for Bath, hurt his ankle in his club's match against Gloucester on Friday 23 October. The Guardian reports that he will be out for several weeks, which rules him out of England's autumn games. A flanker is a back-row forward who works hard in the loose, competing for the ball around the tackle area.

Bristol centre Benhard van Rensburg has been advised to rest after two heavy concussions in the past three months. A concussion is a brain injury caused by a knock to the head, and the priority is recovery before any return to contact. He will also miss several weeks and England's autumn period.

The biggest question mark is over Fin Smith. The England fly-half, the number 10 who kicks, passes and steers the attack, picked up a calf problem in Northampton's match against Leicester on Saturday 24 October. An official update on his condition was expected on Tuesday, and his availability for the Australia match next week is unclear.

Head coach Steve Borthwick has already named George Ford and Marcus Smith as alternatives. Borthwick plans to name his side on the Wednesday before England play Australia on the Sunday.

There are other concerns too. Bath hooker Kepu Tuipulotu limped out of England training in Bagshot with a leg injury, and it will be assessed. On the brighter side, Gloucester's Seb Atkinson, who has a knee problem, and Exeter's Manny Feyi-Waboso, who has a hamstring injury, are both expected to play this weekend.

Some fresh faces have also come in. Sale centre Joe Marchant has been recalled to the training squad after two years playing in France.

For England, the timing is tight. Borthwick said only nine Tests remain before the final stages of preparation for next year's World Cup. Pepper had only recently found his feet at international level, scoring his first England try against Fiji in July, and van Rensburg scored seven minutes later in that same game. Losing both for the autumn leaves Borthwick with harder choices, and the next update on Smith will shape how those choices look.