Courtney Lawes a major doubt for England's opening autumn international as he flies home with back injury

England's injury problems continued to mount on Saturday as Lawes flew home for 'specialist treatment'

Courtney Lawes is a major doubt to play England’s opening November international against South Africa after being forced to return home from their Portugal camp due to a back injury, dealing Eddie Jones yet another injury blow.

The Northampton Saints lock will fly home on Saturday afternoon for what forwards coach Steve Borthwick described as “specialist treatment” on the same back injury that he suffered the night before Northampton’s defeat against Leicester at the start of the month.

The 29-year-old is expected to return to the Algarve in the next few days to resume preparations for next Saturday’s Quilter International against the Springboks, but his absence certainly puts his participation in that encounter into major doubt.

“Courtney Lawes will return to England today for specialist treatment on a pre-existing back injury,” Borthwick said on Saturday. “He is expected to return to Portugal early next week. He has taken part in modified training this week.”

Lawes first complained of the back injury on the morning of 6 October, when Saints were preparing to face their East Midlands rivals, and after withdrawing from the squad he went on to miss the European Challenge Cup clash with Clermont Auvergne before returning to play 72 minutes in last weekend’s victory over the Dragons.

England coach Jones has had to manage Lawes through the first few days of their week-long training camp, having already lost Joe Launchbury for the entire autumn campaign due to knee surgery.

But should Lawes fail to recover in time to face the Springboks, Jones will be left with selecting one of George Kruis and Bath duo Charlie Ewels and Elliott Stooke to partner Maro Itoje in the second-row, with the Saracens forward looking certain to feature at lock and not in the back-row due to the current injury problems that Jones has on his hands.

Jones is already having to handle a lengthy injury list that featured 16 names before departing for this week's training camp, with the key names of Billy Vunipola, Mako Vunipola and Launchbury.

Courtney Lawes played 72 minutes for Northampton last weekend (Getty ) (Getty)

The only other problem Jones has on his hands is the uncertainty over Alex Lozowski. The Saracens centre was at the centre of the latest disciplinary farce on Friday night, when European Professional Club Rugby announced that his appeal against a two-week ban for dangerously entering a ruck - as well as the additional week added when this weekend’s Premiership Rugby Cup clash with Leicester was deemed not to count in the sanction - was upheld, only for a previously dismissed charge of a dangerous tackle on Glasgow’s Ruaridh Jackson in the same match to be ruled incorrect and reapplied.

Lozowski, who is expected back in Portugal on Saturday, will now face a third hearing next week where he will answer the charge of the alleged dangerous tackle, and because his shoulder appeared to make contact with the head of the Scotland international, he could now be facing a significantly longer ban than the initial two-week suspension, with contact with the head warranting an automatic mid-entry level of six weeks before any mitigation is applied.