England are optimistic the key Saracens duo George Kruis and Mako Vunipola will be fit to play a part in their World Cup preparations but Brad Shields may not be ready for the tournament.

Shields returned home from the World Cup training camp in Treviso last week with a foot injury and it appears unlikely he will play in the warm-up games before England depart for Japan. John Mitchell, the England defence coach, described Shields’s ligament tear in the lower-foot as “a little bit niggly” and the Wasps flanker is expected to be out for four to six weeks. England have a self-imposed deadline for naming their World Cup squad on 12 August and their first match in Japan is on 22 September in just under eight weeks.

All Black clouds gather on horizon while Wallabies bask in victory | Bret Harris Read more

In Treviso, the Italian city selected for its heat and humidity to provide the best possible preparation for the climate in Japan, Mitchell said Kruis and Vunipola are showing positive signs in their recovery from ankle and hamstring injuries, respectively.

“George is back in training this week which is fantastic,” Mitchell said. “The medical team have done a great job on his progressive return and he is full of enthusiasm and looking great. Mako is progressing nicely, too. We should see him back at some point in August.”

England are also awaiting an update on Jack Nowell, who returned home on Monday for a routine surgical review on his ankle.

In Shields’s absence Mitchell has been impressed with his replacement – the Harlequins flanker Alex Dombrandt, who has had a meteoric rise through the ranks. He signed for Harlequins in February 2018 and made his England debut in the non-cap win against the Barbarians last month.

“Every day he’s getting a little bit better and learning a lot,” Mitchell said. “He’s been quite outstanding.”