Will Greenwood has warned former club Leicester Tigers are in danger of being relegated from the Gallagher Premiership this season.
The Tigers were embroiled in a relegation battle until the closing weeks of the 2018/19 season and sit 11th with just one win from their first five games, with Saracens the only side below them following their points deduction for breaching the salary cap.
However, Sarries clawed back four points with a 25-12 win away to Bath last Friday, with Greenwood expecting them to overhaul their deficit and secure Premiership safety.
The former Leicester centre, who played for the club between 1996 and 2000, also believes the 10-time Premiership champions and Wasps are most likely to drop down to the Championship ahead of perennial strugglers Worcester Warriors and promoted London Irish - particularly if the Tigers have key players called into the England squad come Six Nations time.
"Wasps or Leicester, one of those two goes down," he said on the Will Greenwood Rugby Podcast.
"Here's the thing: if (England head coach) Eddie Jones gets rid of a load of Leicester lads and says 'your time is done' then I think they might be all right.
"If Eddie keeps picking the Leicester lot and they have one eye on the Six Nations, I think Leicester are in trouble.
"London Irish have got a proper pack, Stephen Myler kicks everything...and they have a dig. Worcester can play one or two different ways and they've got a proper side."
Leicester's tough start to the season was compounded by a 36-13 defeat away to East Midlands rivals Northampton Saints on Saturday.
Greenwood saw some positive signs from the Tigers in that performance, but felt there was one fundamental area where mistakes proved costly for them.
"Leicester did not play that badly, but the problem they had was their line-out was a shambles," Greenwood said.
"They lost seven and if you pick a kid at six in Harry Wells, who is a second row, and front-load your team with jumpers but lose the line-out then the rest of the game is difficult.
"Northampton scored from three of Leicester's line-outs, but they weren't awful."