Tom Curry will not make his England comeback against Wales on Saturday due to a leg injury and has been replaced in the squad by his twin brother Ben.
Curry had hoped to return for the Six Nations battle at the Principality Stadium this weekend after a spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring tear.
But the back rower, who played for Sale Sharks in a win over Northampton Saints on Saturday, will not feature in Cardiff after withdrawing from the squad.
Ben Curry has been drafted in by head coach Steve Borthwick, while Ben Earl has been omitted after coming off the bench in the round-two win over Italy.
Fit-again lock Courtney Lawes is poised to make first England appearance since captaining his country in the series victory in Australia last year. Wing Ollie Hassell-Collins misses out with a knee issue.
Warren Gatland delayed naming his team on Tuesday amid uncertainty over potential strike action from Wales players, but the head coach said he was confident the issues would be resolved and the game would go ahead.
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— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 21, 2023
Steve Borthwick has retained a 26-player squad for this weekend’s #GuinnessSixNations match against Wales.
◾️ Tom Curry has withdrawn from the squad with a leg issue. Ben Curry has been called up.@o2 | #WearTheRose pic.twitter.com/FruS4lTru3