England head coach Steve Borthwick will be without another tighthead prop for the Nations Championship Tests in July, with Trevor Davison set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTrev\u2019s not good,\u201d Davison\u2019s club coach, Phil Dowson, said<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s having surgery tomorrow and will miss the rest of the season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s primarily his knee; it\u2019s the ligaments around it, but they\u2019re not sure what the ACL or PCL look like, so they\u2019ll find out more. Fingers crossed that when they go in, it doesn\u2019t look too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n Davison, who played in all five of England\u2019s Six Nations Tests earlier this year, is the latest front-rower to be ruled out for an extended spell, with fellow tighthead Will Stuart rupturing his Achilles back in December, which leaves Borthwick<\/a> in a sticky situation.<\/p>\n But who can he turn to for the Nations Championship tour? Here\u2019s our take on how the depth chart sits right now.<\/p>\n Front-runner: Joe Heyes<\/p>\n One of only a handful of players who came out of the Six Nations with real credit, and he\u2019s absolutely nailed down to start come the summer as well.<\/p>\n Heyes was just immense all Championship, helping turn England\u2019s scrum into one of the best in the competition while also throwing his body around in the loose like a top-quality back-rower.\u00a0This also felt like a campaign where he fully earned the trust of Borthwick, too, averaging 66 minutes per Test and only playing less than 65 minutes on one occasion.<\/p>\n \u2018That\u2019s England and Springboks\u2019 job\u2019 \u2013 Eddie Hearn believes rugby has the same \u2018problem\u2019 as football<\/a><\/p>\n Simply put, he is one of the first names on the teamsheet right now, and will likely be a key man for the Nations Championship.<\/p>\n In the mix: Asher Opoku-Fordjour<\/p>\n The Sale Sharks prop has been out of action for a good while now, missing the Six Nations in the process, but his registration for the Investec Champions Cup earlier this week suggests that he is nearing a return to the field.<\/p>\n Should he be fully fit, you would imagine Borthwick drafts him straight back into the squad.<\/p>\n Opoku-Fordjour is one of the most exciting talents England have at their disposal, but crucially, he can also perform at Test level already. His attacking intent come scrum-time is a rate trait for a young prop \u2013 who normally find their feet at senior level at around 24 or 25 \u2013 and backs that up with some lovely work around the park as well.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n This also feels like another huge opportunity to just get him in and around the match-day squad and properly blood him at this level, in a similar way to the tour of the Americas last July. He\u2019s certainly the future of the number three shirt, but could also be the man for the present as well.<\/p>\n Outside bet: Vilikesa Sela, George Kloska, Afolabi Fasogbon<\/p>\n Underneath that pair, the likes of uncapped trio Vilikesa Sela, George Kloska and Afolabi Fasogbon will also be vying for a spot in Borthwick\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n All three men have been in and around the group in recent times, with Fasogbon touring with England in the summer while Sela and Kloska were also drafted into the Six Nations squad at various points, and they have all featured for England A in that time too.<\/p>\n Crucially, they all seem to be of a good age profile, and fit the sort of group that Borthwick is going to develop moving forward. Kloska is the oldest at 26, while Fasogbon and Sela are 21 and 20, respectively, and all have their best rugby-playing years in their future.<\/p>\n Northampton v Castres teams: Springboks hopeful and England ace among six changes for Fin Smith-less Saints as Henry Pollock shifts position<\/a><\/p>\n This could be a chance to give any one of them an extended run with the squad and maybe even in the match-day 23 come July.<\/p>\n Bolter: Jimmy Roots<\/p>\n It\u2019s a big call considering he\u2019s only just broken into the Exeter starting XV in recent weeks, but Jimmy Roots could be a genuine bolter for the July window.<\/p>\n The younger brother of England<\/a> back-rower Ethan has\u00a0really\u00a0hit his straps in the past few weeks, taking on a big role in the Chiefs\u2019 wins over Northampton Saints in the PREM Cup and Sale Sharks and Newcastle Red Bulls in the league as well. These performances have also come off the back of steady improvements across his time at Sandy Park, too.<\/p>\n He is another who seems to have all the right attributes too, going well in an attack-minded scrum while also trucking hard around the park alongside, and while it does seem like a big stretch given the options above him, the rate he\u2019s going, he could get himself into the picture.<\/p>\n Watch this space: Kyle Sinckler<\/p>\n