Joe Marler is poised to return to the England starting XV to face France in the Six Nations opener at Twickenham next Saturday after completing a remarkable recovery from a broken leg in less than three weeks.

The news will come as a major boost to England head coach Eddie Jones given that he is already without Saracens’ outstanding loosehead prop Mako Vunipola because of a knee injury for the game on Feb 4.

Jones, however, now faces another injury setback to his squad, with serious concerns that Bath wing Anthony Watson will be ruled out of the game after sustaining a hamstring injury during a training session in Portugal on Friday.

Watson was due to undergo a scan in London on Saturday with the results expected on Sunday. His club team-mate Semesa Rokoduguni is on standby to be called up tonight if Watson is ruled out.

It would be a cruel blow to Watson, who was expected to return to the starting XV after a dedicated rehabilitation from a broken jaw he sustained during an England training camp in Brighton last October.