Manu Tuilagi’s hopes of resurrecting his England career are hanging by a thread after he and Denny Solomona were sent home from a pre-season training camp by Eddie Jones, who is said to be furious with the pair for their drunken night out.

Jones sent Tuilagi and Solomona packing after a brief meeting before the only full-contact session of a three-day camp on Monday and it is understood the incident may impact on selection for England’s next get-together in late September and the autumn internationals.

The Leicester centre and the Sale wing took part in the camp over the weekend. It is understood that after the whole squad went out for a meal on Sunday evening and returned to the team hotel in Teddington, Tuilagi and Solomona ventured out again. No curfew had been set but both returned to the team hotel drunk in the early hours of Monday morning, angering Jones greatly.

Timeline Manu Tuilagi’s controversies Show Wins fight against deportation Tuiliagi was on the verge of being deported to his native Samoa in 2010 before the Home Office made a U-turn and allowed him to stay. The then 19-year-old had entered the country on a holiday visa six years earlier and had stayed on illegally. At the time, Tuilagi was a rising star in Leicester’s academy and was expected to be handed a professional contract. After the successful appeal he was granted indefinite leave to remain. Banned from Premiership final Forced to miss the 2011 Premiership final against Saracens after he was given a five-week ban for punching Northampton’s Chris Ashton. Tuilagi had originally been banned for 10 weeks but that was reduced in light of a push by Ashton. Sanctioned for wearing a sponsored mouthguard Fined £4,800 by World Rugby for wearing a sponsored mouthguard during the group win over Georgia at the 2011 World Cup. Tuilagi also wore the gumshield in the victory against Argentina and the Rugby Football Union described the breach as a “genuine error”. Detained by New Zealand police after ferry jump England’s 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand was a miserable affair which was blighted by off-field controversy, which Tuilagi contributed to. In the aftermath of England’s quarter-final defeat against France, Tuilagi was detained by police and fined £3,000 by England for jumping from a ferry into Auckland harbour. Bunny ears Tuilagi issued an apology to David Cameron after he made a bunny ears sign behind his back during a photograph taken outside 10 Downing Street. The successful British & Irish Lions squad who toured Australia, where Tuilagi played in the third Test, were making an official visit. Found guilty of assault Pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a police officer, resulting in his removal from consideration for England selection until January 2016 – a period that included the World Cup – although a long-term groin injury rendered the suspension irrelevant. Tuilagi was fined £5,500 and ordered to pay £705 in costs when he appeared before magistrates in Leicester. The incident took place during a night out in Leicester city centre and the player pleaded guilty to one count of assault by beating, one count of criminal damage and two counts of assaulting a police officer. Sent home from England training camp Tuilagi and Solomona are sent home from England’s summer training camp in Teddington for what the RFU described as “team culture issues”.

The Rugby Football Union said in a short statement the pair had been sent home following “team culture issues” and Tuilagi’s involvement leaves Jones considerably red-faced after he called the 26-year-old into the training camp last week.

Tuilagi has not played at all since January after knee surgery and has managed only 17 minutes of game-time under Jones. His last England start came in June 2014 but last Friday Jones described him as the only player at his disposal capable of “demolishing the All Blacks”. He went on to say “he’s worth time, he’s worth effort and worth a lot of care” and, fitness permitting, Jones hoped to unleash Tuilagi against Argentina, Australia and Samoa in the autumn.

Tuilagi had been due to take part in the launch of England’s new kit on Monday but in his absence Danny Care, who was dropped by Lancaster in 2012 for a series of alcohol-related offences, stepped in. “It’s something that Eddie has dealt with; as other players we didn’t know much about it,” Care said. “They’ve breached the code of conduct that the players try and live by and Eddie has made that decision.

“It shows that no one is above the law. That’s the way it has been since Eddie has taken over. It’s about making the right decisions at the right time. We’re given a lot of licence by the coaches to make the right decisions. People know what is right and wrong and what to do at the right time and whatever happened last night wasn’t the right time.”

The incident is the most serious breach of discipline since Jones took over but it is the latest in a long line of off-field transgressions by Tuilagi, who was left out of the 2015 World Cup squad by Stuart Lancaster after he was fined £6,205 for assaulting two female police officers and a taxi driver.

At the 2011 World Cup he received a formal warning for disorderly behaviour after jumping off a ferry in Auckland and was also fined £4,800 for wearing an unapproved mouthguard carrying the name of a sponsor. After the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour he made a “bunny” gesture with two fingers behind David Cameron’s head and he was banned for five weeks in May 2011 for punching Chris Ashton.

The Leicester coach, Matt O’Connor, who hopes to have Tuilagi fully fit for the start of the season, said: “This is particularly disappointing because Manu has worked so hard to get back to fitness after long-term injury and to get back into the England squad. This matter has been dealt with by the RFU and we will talk to Manu on his return to the club.”

Solomona has played only twice for England – coming off the bench in both summer Tests against Argentina – and is therefore another player who has spent little time under Jones.

The Sale director of rugby, Steve Diamond, said: “This is disappointing news because Denny has worked so hard since joining the club last December. He hasn’t had much time off and his performances earned him a place on the recent England tour to Argentina.”

Gloucester have announced the England wing Jonny May is to leave the club and join their Premiership rivals Leicester. The club also confirmed the lock Ed Slater will be moving in the opposite direction, departing Welford Road for Kingsholm. May has scored nine tries in 27 Tests for England and he started both games against Argentina on the summer tour.