LONDON: England have added forwards Tom Croft and Christian Day to their Six Nations training squad as injury cover, the Rugby Football Union announced Monday as fitness problems continued to pile up for Stuart Lancaster's side.
Leicester flanker Croft and Northampton lock Day joined the squad as England assessed injuries to Geoff Parling and Tom Wood.
Parling injured his knee early on in Leicester's 26-7 European Champions Cup defeat by Ulster on Saturday, while Wood was went off with an ankle problem in Saints' 32-8 home loss to Racing Metro.
England also have injury concerns regarding the backline trio of fly-half/centre Owen Farrell and midfielders Brad Barritt and Kyle Eastmond.
However, Northampton centre Luther Burrell is expected to return to training on Friday after suffering concussion against Racing.
Farrell, who appears to have fallen behind George Ford in England's fly-half pecking order, limped off with a knee problem during the first half of Saracens' 18-6 Champions Cup defeat by Clermont on Sunday, while Eastmond injured his shoulder in Bath's 20-15 win over Glasgow the same day.
For Lancaster, who will hope to coach England to World Cup glory on home soil later this year, it all adds to a growing injury list ahead of the Six Nations opener away to Wales in Cardiff on February 6 with the likes of centre Manu Tuilagi (groin) and lock Joe Launchbury (neck) already sidelined with long-term problems.
"The players will be fully assessed once they get into camp this evening and it's too early to give any definitive news on their status," Lancaster said Monday.
"Tom's ankle and Owen's knee have been scanned. Owen will see a specialist this evening and we will be able to provide an update on him and the other injured players tomorrow (Tuesday), along with any other potential additions to the squad."
Croft and Day has been originally called up to the second-string England Saxons squad for their match against the Ireland Wolfhounds in Cork on Friday.
The pair's Saxons places will be taken by Wasps' lock James Gaskell and Bath backrow Carl Fearns.
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