Friday 17 May 2019 12:20, UK
Mako Vunipola faces a race against time to be fit for the World Cup after being told he needs hamstring surgery.
The England prop suffered the injury during the first half of Saracens' Champions Cup final victory over Leinster last weekend.
"Vunipola's hamstring injury requires surgery and will take a minimum of three months to recover," Saracens said in a statement.
The loosehead will miss at least two of England's World Cup warm-up games. They play Wales on August 11 and 17 before matches against Ireland (August 24) and Italy (September 6).
Eddie Jones is due to name his World Cup squad in late August but can make changes until the official deadline of September 8 - the day they depart for their pre-tournament training camp in Miyazaki.
England play their opening World Cup game against Tonga on September 22.
Vunipola is by far England's most experienced loosehead following the retirement of Joe Marler. The 28-year-old has won 53 caps and also played all six Tests for the British and Irish Lions during their tours of Australia and New Zealand.
Jones' other options at loosehead are Leicester's Ellis Genge and Exeter's Ben Moon, both of whom were handed starts during the Six Nations after Vunipola was ruled out with an ankle injury.
