England centre Luther Burrell will not play in Saturday’s clash with South Africa as he continues to recover from a hand injury, the Rugby Football Union announced on Sunday.
Burrell missed England’s opening November international, a 24-21 defeat by world champions New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday, and will maintain with treatment at club side Northampton alongside Saints five-eighth Stephen Myler, who is struggling with a hamstring injury.
Lock Courtney Lawes will be monitored by the England medical staff after suffering a first-half concussion against the All Blacks that placed a question mark over his availability for the Twickenham encounter with the Springboks.
Nevertheless, Lawes was included in a 34-man squad summoned to 2015 World Cup hosts England’s training base in Bagshot, south-west of London, to prepare for the Test match with South Africa.
England coach Stuart Lancaster is due to name his match-day 23 on Tuesday and his starting XV on Thursday.
Injuries meant Lancaster had to field a new midfield combination of Brad Barritt and Kyle Eastmond against the All Blacks, with Burrell and Manu Tuilagi sidelined.
As well as Tuilagi, England were also missing six other British and Irish Lions due to injury in forwards Tom Croft, Geoff Parling, Tom Youngs, Mako Vunipola, Alex Corbisiero and Dan Cole.
They were also without first-choice lock Joe Launchbury, ruled out of England’s entire November program with a neck problem.
The Springboks, whose tour of Europe started with a shock 29-15 defeat by Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, are set to announce their team to play England on Wednesday.
South Africa remain the only major rugby nation England have yet to beat since Lancaster took charge in 2012, with four Tests against the Springboks yielding three defeats and a draw.
After the South Africa match, England face Samoa before concluding their November series at home to Australia in what will be a dress rehearsal for the World Cup clash with the Wallabies.
England and Australia are in the same group as Wales, with only two teams from each of the four pools making it through to the quarter-finals.
