England quartet sent back for Saints’ clash with Harlequins

BACK AGAIN - Calum Clark has returned to Saints ahead of Friday's clash with Harlequins (picture: Kirsty Edmonds)

The pair, who have now recovered from ankle injuries, returned to training with the national squad on Tuesday, but were sent back to Franklin’s Gardens later that day.

Calum Clark and Alex Corbisiero were also allowed to return to their club, but Dylan Hartley and Luther Burrell remain in camp ahead of Sunday’s Six Nations game against Ireland in Dublin.

Saints are likely to call on the services of Clark and Corbisiero in the Aviva Premiership game against Quins after both impressed in last Saturday’s superb win at Bath.

And the return of Lawes and Wood will give boss Jim Mallinder plenty to ponder as he considers whether to shuffle his pack.

Lawes has not played since injuring his ankle in the win against Leicester on December 20, while Wood has been out since limping off in the defeat to Racing Metro on January 24.

England’s 26-man training squad: Forwards: Attwood, Brookes, Croft, Easter, Hartley, Haskell, Kruis, Marler, Robshaw (c), Thomas, B Vunipola, M Vunipola, T Youngs. Backs: Brown, Burrell, Cipriani, Ford, Goode, Joseph, Nowell, Pennell, Twelvetrees, Watson, Wigglesworth, B Youngs.