England’s hopes of winning the 2013 Six Nations Championship have been dealt a series of blows this week with news five squad players have suffered injuries that will keep them out of the opening fixtures.

The biggest loss is that centre Manu Tuilagi – England’s drive and power in the middle of the park – suffered an ankle injury recently that could see him sit out the first match of the Championship against Scotland Saturday week. Tuilagi missed club side Leicester’s victory over Toulouse in the Heineken Cup due to the strain.

To make matters worse, London Irish prop Alex Corbisiero is due to miss England’s first two fixtures – against Scotland and Ireland – following successful knee surgery; while reserve fly-half Freddy Burns’ place in the squad is yet to be finalised after the 22-year-old suffered a knee ligament strain for Gloucester at the weekend.

Yet possibly head coach Stuart Lancaster’s most important casualty is Tom Johnson, the 30-year-old with just three caps and one try to his name. Johnson was to be a vital part of Lancaster’s reserve squad after another crippling injury – this time to Calum Clark – left the flanks bare. However, he was carried off in Exeter’s Heineken Cup clash with Leinster and will be out for the tournament with a knee injury.

Without Clark and Johnson, Lancaster has now only two seasoned flankers in captain Chris Robshaw and Tom Wood of Northampton. In nine games Wood is yet to put any points on the board for England; while Robshaw’s role as captain will be tested to the limit this Championship.