Maro Itoje ruled out of England autumn internationals with fractured hand

The 21-year-old will be out for six weeks

Itoje has started the last six internationals (Getty Images)

Maro Itoje has been ruled out of England’s autumn internationals after Saracens confirmed he needed surgery on a fractured hand.

Itoje will be out for six weeks with the injury, which he sustained making a tackle against the Scarlets in the European Champions Cup on Saturday.

The second rower, who turns 22 on Friday, has started England’s last six internationals and has established a partnership for the Red Rose with club teammate George Kruis.

He was being considered for a move to the back row to replace openside flanker James Haskell, who is out with a toe injury, but will now not return to action until after England’s final autumn international against Australia at the start of December.

Itoje’s injury is the latest blow to head coach Eddie Jones, who is also without George Kruis, because he requires ankle surgery, for at least three of the four test matches.

Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes are now likely to form the second-row partnership but the back row resources are more thinly spread with Jack Clifford, Mike Williams and Sam Jones all unavailable to Jones due to injury.

There are also a number of absentees in the back line, with Anthony Watson and Jack Nowell out of the series, while Manu Tuilagi hasn’t featured for Leicester since the opening game of the season.

Maro Itoje left the field with a hand injury (REX)

England start their Autumn with the visit of South Africa, before Fiji, Argentina and, lastly, Australia all play at Twickenham as Jones looks to maintain his unbeaten start and give England a 100 per cent record for the whole of 2016.