Chris Robshaw will return for Harlequins this weekend, two weeks ahead of schedule, to give his British and Irish Lions chances a boost ahead of Warren Gatland’s squad announcement.

Robshaw will be named in the Quins squad that takes on Newcastle on Saturday, according to The Mirror, meaning that the former England captain will have three weeks to prove hit fitness to Gatland after missing the entire Six Nations championship with a shoulder injury.

The 30-year-old underwent surgery on his left shoulder after suffering the blow in the New Year’s Day 24-17 defeat by Worcester Warriors, with the prognosis putting him on the sidelines for four months, ruling him out of the Six Nations and making the flanker a serious doubt for the Lions squad.

But having recovered two weeks early, Robshaw looks set to be named in the squad for the clash against Newcastle when the team is announced on Friday, and should he come through the match unscathed he will have the games against Saracens and Exeter Chiefs to show Gatland that he warrants a place in his squad to face the All Blacks.

After missing the 2013 tour when Gatland omitted the then-England captain, Rosbahw’s form since moving to blindside flanker looked to have guaranteed him a place in the touring party. But the shoulder injury put his chances back in jeopardy, and the impressive form of fellow blindside flankers Sam Warburton, Maro Itoje, CJ Stander and Peter O’Mahony leaves Robshaw on the outside staring in once again.

The Harlequins head coach, Mark Mapletoft, praised Robshaw for hitting the ground running after he returned to training to continue his recovery from the injury. “England missed Chris and his unseen graft in the Six Nations. He is an unbelievable professional,” he said. “The guy is relentless.

"He’s been sidelined for a substantial amount of time but in his first training session back with us you’d never have known he’d been out. That’s the sign of a really top drawer player.”

British and Irish Lions captain candidates Show all 6 1 /6 British and Irish Lions captain candidates British and Irish Lions captain candidates Alun Wyn Jones Jones is probably still the leading candidate for the captaincy, even if his, and Wales’, Six Nations was not what they were hoping for. Jones took the Welsh armband from Sam Warburton for the championship but at times looked uneasy at making a call, such as when he was overruled when Wales opted to go for the corner against Scotland, rather than taking the shot at three points. Jones captained the Lions in the deciding third Test against Australia in 2013 and is a guaranteed starter if fit – something Gatland is keen for his captain to be, although not a necessity. AFP/Getty Images British and Irish Lions captain candidates Sam Warburton Had Wales not finished fifth in the championship with three defeats, there is a good chance Warburton would have been named player of the tournament. The way he reacted to losing the Wales captaincy and moving to blindside flanker has been phenomenal and he is now the bookies’ favourite after his performances and having already led the Lions to a tour victory. Of Warburton’s chances, Gatland said: “He's a different captain to some other players. He leads by example. He doesn't say a lot but he has had that experience. He's one of the guys potentially in contention, definitely.” However, he has been so good without the burden of the armband, would giving it to him hinder his performances? Getty Images British and Irish Lions captain candidates Dylan Hartley Before his red card for Northampton in December, Hartley was the frontrunner for the armband but now his place on the plane is not even assured. For England, Jamie George has impressed and could usurp his captain’s position over the next 12 months, with Hartley arguably not even the third most impressive Hooker the home nations boasted during this year’s Six Nations. However, his grit and fire has been one of the reasons for England’s success under Eddie Jones and it is that sort of personality which could be vital in the hotbed of New Zealand. Getty Images British and Irish Lions captain candidates Rory Best The way Best led Ireland to ending England’s unbeaten run shows that he has the ability to motivate the players around him in tough and gritty situations. He has also captained a side to a win over the All Blacks, the only candidate who is able to say that. Best is certainly a viable candidate but the question mark that remains hanging over him is if he is good enough to start at hooker against the All Blacks? Hartley, Best, George and Wales’ Ken Owens are all in with a shout. AFP/Getty Images British and Irish Lions captain candidates Owen Farrell Farrell was player of the tournament after a stunning Six Nations. His kicking is up there with Leigh Halfpenny’s as amongst the best in the world and he has the right mentality of a captain having been schooled under Eddie Jones. Farrell looks certain to start at 12 for the Lions and would make a fierce captain. However, having not captained an international side from the start, how would he fare leading the most intense tour the Lions have embarked on? It is a tough challenge for the most weathered of captains, never mind a novice. AFP/Getty Images British and Irish Lions captain candidates Conor Murray An outside shout for captain but the way he controls the game from around the ruck shows his importance to the Lions. He, like Best, has experience of beating the All Blacks and of a winning Lions Tour (like everyone on this list, other than Hartley). He has captaincy experience but while he was a certain starter a month ago, the performances of Rhys Webb have given Gatland a real decision to make. He said he wants to pick his squad first and then his captain and that could go against Murray in the decision-making process if Webb is now considered ahead of him. Getty