• Worcester centre had been pencilled in for first Test • Te’o joins long list of players to go down in England camp

Ben Te’o has been ruled out of England’s tour of South Africa next month. He becomes the latest player to sustain an injury in training and leaves Eddie Jones with a considerable midfield headache for the three-Test series against the Springboks.

The Worcester centre was expected to play in the first Test in Johannesburg on 9 June but has been omitted from the 34-man touring party after suffering a quad injury in camp, which requires minor surgery.

It is understood it is a recurrence of a previous injury but he joins a long list of players to go down when with England. Beno Obano was ruled out for a year last week, while Sam Jones, Jack Nowell, Sam Underhill, Anthony Watson, Jonny May and George Kruis are among those to have sustained injuries in recent seasons.

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Te’o joins Cameron Redpath and Jack Willis as players withdrawn from the initial tour squad because of injury, with Jones making three changes, adding Nathan Hughes and Piers Francis – both expected call-ups – as well as the uncapped Gloucester full-back Jason Woodward.

Jones gave Te’o his first two starts at outside-centre but he wore the No 12 jersey in England’s last Test – the home defeat by Ireland at the end of the Six Nations – and his versatility will be missed just as much as his direct ball-carrying. With Jonathan Joseph already out through injury and Manu Tuilagi rested, England’s midfield ranks are badly depleted.

It is also a bitter setback for Te’o, who funded six weeks of rehab on an ankle injury in Australia towards the end of last year to be fit for the Six Nations. He recently said he believed the injury was a result of being rushed back into action with Worcester too soon, having played a key role on the British & Irish Lions tour last summer.

Francis would appear to be Redpath’s replacement and his call-up was expected after Jones described his performance at inside-centre in the record-breaking defeat by the Barbarians on Sunday as his best game since last summer’s tour of Argentina. Elliot Daly moved to outside-centre after Henry Trinder went off with a head injury on Sunday while Henry Slade and Alex Lozowski are also candidates to start at outside-centre. Owen Farrell started at fly-half against Ireland but, without Te’o, Jones may decide to resume the 10-12 axis with George Ford coming back into the side. It must be said, he may have done so anyway.

Woodward’s introduction is eye-catching considering his omission was a surprise, having been widely tipped for a place after a fine season for Gloucester. The New Zealand-born full-back can also play on the wing and qualifies for England through his grandparents.

The inclusion of Hughes is less surprising, though the Wasps No 8 was originally considered unavailable for selection, having sustained a knee injury during the Six Nations. It was thought he would be ruled out for the season but he made his comeback in Wasps’s Premiership semi-final defeat by Saracens before he was added to England’s training squad last week.

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Jones opted against selecting him to face the Barbarians – “He’s doing a bit of hard yakka. We have to get him fit,” the coach said last week – but he provides valuable cover for Billy Vunipola considering the Saracens No 8 has started only twice since breaking his arm in January.

Vunipola’s director of rugby, Mark McCall, his defence coach, Alex Sanderson, and five further Saracens coaches have had their contracts extended until 2022 after their Premiership title success. Sanderson has been linked with the vacant position of England’s defence coach and while the 38-year-old’s new deal does not entirely rule him out, it means he would cost significantly more in compensation.