Steve Borthwick's England plans take a hit, but not as severely as feared. England wing Tommy Freeman has been cleared to start for Northampton Saints on Friday against Newcastle Red Bulls at Kingston Park in the Gallagher PREM. This is a relief for Borthwick, who was concerned about a hip injury that forced Freeman off early in the second half of the East Midlands derby victory over Leicester Tigers. Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson downplayed the severity of the injury, but it was touch-and-go whether Freeman could make the weekend. Much to Borthwick's delight, Freeman has been named at full-back for the Saints, taking George Hendy's place. Hendy's leg injury is not believed to be serious, but it prevented him from traveling north for round four of the PREM season. While this is a boost for England, Gloucester confirmed that centre Seb Atkinson will undergo a period of rehabilitation after sustaining a knee and hip injury against Bath. Atkinson, who earned his first two England caps in July, looked in visible discomfort when he was helped from the field in the final 10 minutes of Gloucester's loss at the Rec. Gloucester stated that Atkinson will not require surgery, but he is expected to be sidelined for an unspecified period. Borthwick will name an initial England training squad on Sunday, followed by the final squad announcement a week later ahead of their first Test of the autumn against Australia on November 1. Whether Atkinson can feature in England's November campaign remains unknown, but he will be unavailable for the upcoming training camp, which will likely affect the coaching team's initial plans.
