Vunipola's England hopes suffer blow after knee injury

Billy Vunipola will miss the rest of the domestic season after sustaining a knee injury, his club Saracens said on Wednesday, dealing a major blow to the number eight's hopes of an England recall ahead of the Rugby World Cup.

Vunipola was carried off the pitch on a stretcher in the first half of Saracens' Champions Cup quarter-final defeat at La Rochelle on Sunday.

Premiership leaders Saracens did not disclose when Vunipola was expected to return. British media reported he is set to undergo surgery on Thursday.

The 30-year-old will miss Saracens' last three games of the regular season, which ends on May 6, and their home semi-final a week later.

Vunipola has won 68 caps since his England debut in 2013 but last played in November's loss to South Africa. He started every match for England at the 2019 World Cup, where they lost to South Africa in the final.

Before the injury, Vunipola's fine form for Saracens had put him in the frame for a return to the England squad for this year's World Cup, which will be held in France from Sept. 8 to Oct. 28.