England vs Australia: Jack Nowell ruled out with injury as Joe Cokanasiga starts and Manu Tuilagi included

Exeter Chiefs wing Nowell suffered a hamstring injury on Wednesday, with Cokanasiga set to retain his place in the starting line-up after his try-scoring debut last weekend

England have suffered another injury blow ahead of Saturday’s autumn international against Australia after Jack Nowell was forced to sit out Wednesday’s training session, leaving the door open for Joe Cokanasiga to retain his place in the side after making his debut last weekend.

Nowell suffered a hamstring injury in training this week and is not expected to be named in the squad that head coach Eddie Jones announces this morning to face the Wallabies, with the setback coming just two days after another wing in Chris Ashton was sent back to Sale Sharks with a series-ending calf injury.

Nowell started England’s 35-15 victory over Japan last weekend in the unfamiliar position of outside centre, only to move back to the wing after half an hour due to Ashton’s injury. With the Exeter Chiefs back sidelined, Cokanasiga is now expected to retain his shirt fresh from his try-scoring debut last Saturday, with Jonny May returning to the other wing.

But the absence of both Nowell and Ashton means that Manu Tuilagi is expected to be named on the bench as cover for the back line, with the Leicester Tigers centre poised for his first England appearance since March 2016.

A groin injury suffered in the lead up to the opening Quilter International against South Africa sidelined 27-year-old Tuilagi for the ensuing games against New Zealand and Japan, as well as the Springboks, but after putting him through his paces on Wednesday afternoon, Jones appears ready to hand Tuilagi an international recall – albeit from the replacements’ bench.

Ben Te’o and Henry Slade will reunite in the the centre to start against the Wallabies, while Owen Farrell will return to the No 10 shirt following George Ford’s outing last weekend with Ben Youngs back at scrum-half.

There will also be numerous changes in the pack with Ben Moon, Dylan Hartley and Kyle Sinckler all set to return to the front-row, with Courtney Lawes moving from blindside flanker to lock alongside Maro Itoje as Charlie Ewels drops to the bench. Lawes’ positional switch makes space for Wasps flanker Brad Shields to return to the No 6 shirt, with Sam Underhill set to start at openside flanker and Mark Wilson reverting to No 8.

Jamie George, Alec Hepburn and Harry Williams will all be named among the replacements alongside Ewels and the returning Nathan Hughes, who covers the back-row after missing the first three autumn internationals through suspensions.

Manu Tuilagi looks set to be named on the bench to face Australia (Getty)

Richard Wigglesworth will cover scrum-half after being preferred this week to Danny Care, who was surprisingly dropped on Monday, while Ford and Tuilagi make up the bench with Northampton Saints’ Piers Francis the unlucky man to miss out among the backs, along with Bath lock Elliott Stooke.