England wing Claudia MacDonald has been ruled out of the Women’s Six Nations because of a neck injury.
It is understood that this a different neck injury to the one the 28-year-old suffered in 2022 which resulted in her considering retirement from the sport.
An RFU spokesperson confirmed there is currently “no timeframe” for the recovery process and that MacDonald will see a specialist.
The Red Roses start their Grand Slam defence away to Italy on 24 March.
Despite missing the 2022 Six Nations with an issue with a bulging disc, MacDonald made a stunning comeback to make the Red Roses World Cup squad as a hybrid wing/scrum-half option.
England head coach John Mitchell names his side for the Six Nations on Monday.