England suffer another Six Nations blow as Joe Marler tests positive for Covid

England have been dealt yet another setback in their Six Nations preparations after Joe Marler tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time in two-and-a-half months, raising doubts over his availability for next week’s trip to Scotland.

Eddie Jones was already dealing with the absences of Owen Farrell and Jonny May from this week’s key training camp in Brighton while Courtney Lawes, the favourite to step in as captain, is currently sidelined with a head injury. Marler’s absence now constitutes another sizeable headache for the head coach.

The 31-year-old loosehead prop was forced to withdraw from the training camp after recording a positive test on Tuesday morning and immediately going into isolation. According to government guidance, Marler will be able to leave isolation early next week if he can produce negative tests on day five and day six of isolation. If he ends up having to complete the full 10 days, however, that would take him up to midnight the night before the Murrayfield fixture. In that instance there would be little prospect of him featuring.

All other players and staff tested negative and Jones has opted against calling up a replacement into camp, with Ellis Genge and Bevan Rodd the other looseheads in the squad, but England have been given a sharp reminder of the risks still posed by Covid-19.

Marler missed England’s autumn victory over Australia after testing positive but was able to rejoin the squad the following Friday and take his place on the bench for the 27-26 win over South Africa 24 hours later. On Tuesday night Marler wrote on social media, “Covid can eat shit … But it does mean I can go back to my diet of chillis and onions.”

As was the case in the autumn, England are understood to be