Ashton: We must protect Barkley

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With Wilkinson on crutches following the ankle ligament injury he suffered in training, England are short of goalkickers, making Barkley's health a serious issue with the crucial clash with South Africa in Paris next Friday.

Medical opinion in England suggests Wilkinson could be out for six weeks and he was struggling yesterday at the Thiepval Memorial for Battle of the Somme victims.

Brian Ashton, the England head coach, remained positive about Wilkinson's injury, saying: "He is being assessed on Tuesday and I have not put anybody on standby as a replacement."

Sale's Charlie Hodgson and Newcastle's Toby Flood could be flown in to bolster the squad and offer further kicking options if Tuesday's review of Wilkinson's injury is as grim as predicted.

For now, Ashton must decide how long to leave Barkley on the pitch against the Americans knowing he has become vital for the match with South Africa.

Withdrawing Barkley would mean handing the goal-kicking responsibilities to Andy Farrell, the former Great Britain rugby league captain, who is on the bench for the USA match.

Ashton remains coy about his plans for Barkley, saying: "We will see how he is playing a make a decision.

"We will be aiming to look after our goal-kicker and it's a call we will make on the day. Andy Farrell has been doing more goal-kicking than normal in training this week."