Manu Tuilagi is set to be ruled out of England’s summer tour of Australia on the day Eddie Jones names a host of uncapped players in his squad.

The Mail on Sunday understands the injury-plagued 25-year-old Leicester centre suffered a grade two tear of a hamstring — an injury Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill blamed on Saracens’ artificial pitch — in his side’s 44-17 semi-final defeat at Allianz Park. He is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks.

Jones will name a 33-man squad, including Harlequins prop Kyle Sinckler and Northampton’s uncapped duo Teimana Harrison and Alex Waller. Harlequins winger Marland Yarde is recalled, but Tuilagi’s expected absence is a severe blow to England’s hopes. ‘Manu has pulled a hamstring. I don’t know how bad it is, but it’s not great,’ said Cockerill. ‘We’ll assess it over the next couple of days.

Manu Tuilagi is set to be ruled out of England selection after suffering a hamstring tear against Saracens

Tuilagi can only watch from the bench after his side were beaten 44-17 in the semi-final at the Allianz Park

‘If you get more purchase on the pitch, you put more force through your body and that causes more problems.

‘I’m not a fan of artificial pitches at all. Artificial pitches are not for rugby union. There should be minimum standards of grass pitches across the Premiership. Rugby should be played on grass.’

Tuilagi only returned from a career-threatening groin injury midway through this season after almost two years on the sidelines and Jones’s hope of partnering the hulking centre with Owen Farrell and Exeter’s Henry Slade have been dashed.

Harlequins prop Kyle Sinckler has impressed for his club and he has forced his way into contention

Saracens Owen Farrell (right) passes the ball but was also forced to depart the match in the second-half

Northampton centre Luther Burrell will be the likely beneficiary of Tuilagi’s absence.Saracens and England fly-half Farrell also departed midway through the second half at Allianz Park with a rib injury, although his club say he will be fit for Saturday’s Twickenham final against Exeter.

There is better news for 23-year-old Quins tighthead prop Sinckler, who is one of only a handful of English-qualified players in the domestic game to have impressed Jones since England won the Grand Slam in March.

The 18st 9lb Sinckler, who grew up playing football on a South London housing estate before taking up rugby, is capable of bench-pressing more than 26 stone and his raw physical attributes and unwillingness to back down — on show when he came on as a replacement in last Friday’s Challenge Cup final defeat by Montpellier — has seen him force his way into contention. The Mail on Sunday understands Sinckler was likely to be included even before Quins loosehead Joe Marler withdrew from the tour on personal grounds following a season blighted by disciplinary issues.

Northampton centre Luther Burrell will be the likely beneficiary of Tuilagi’s absence and should fill in

Jones said of Sinckler last week: ‘He has some areas of his game he needs to improve but he has got potential competitive edges.

‘He is from a pretty tough background, so rugby means a lot to him — he plays rugby for all the right reasons. He loves the game and it helped to get him out of a difficult situation, so he is a guy who could keep on developing. He is athletically gifted.

‘When he came on against Montpellier he showed exactly what Quins needed. He was prepared to get on the front foot against a side who bullied Quins up front. He was not prepared to be bullied.

‘Some of the rugby I have seen over the last five or six weeks hasn't added to the selection conundrum.

‘Probably Sinckler is the only one who has come out of left field. I haven’t seen anyone elevate their position massively.’

Northampton’s uncapped flanker Teimana Harrison (right) will be included in the tour party to Australia

Wasps’ uncapped Dan Robson is understood to have edged into the third scrum-half spot

Wasps’ uncapped Dan Robson is understood to have edged Exeter’s Will Chudley for the third scrum-half spot behind Danny Care and Ben Youngs, who are both in contention for next week’s Test against Wales. Jones will name a 23-man squad to face a full-strength Wales at Twickenham. It will not include players from Saracens or Exeter, who play in the Premiership final on Saturday.

His 33-man tour party will see Waller as one of six props, along with Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Paul Hill, Matt Mullan and Kieran Brookes, while Yarde will be the third winger behind Anthony Watson and Jack Nowell, with Saracens Chris Ashton and Bath’s Semesa Rokoduguni missing out.

Northampton’s uncapped flanker Teimana Harrison will be included in the tour party, and could be named at openside to face Wales. ‘He has definitely got some mongrel about him,’ Jones added.