Chris Robshaw has been ruled out of the Six Nations Championship after undergoing shoulder surgery on Monday, deepening England’s injury crisis less than a month before Eddie Jones’s side begin the defence of their title.

Robshaw aggravated a shoulder injury in Harlequins’ New Year’s Day defeat by Worcester and a meeting with a specialist on Monday confirmed the need for surgery. Quins expect the blindside flanker will spend 12 weeks on the sidelines.

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Jones is now facing the prospect of being without more than half of his starting pack when England host France on 4 February with the Vunipola brothers, Mako and Billy, already ruled out and question marks over Joe Marler, George Kruis, Joe Launchbury and James Haskell.

Robshaw had hoped to play some part in England’s Six Nations campaign, stating that his shoulder “feels fine in everyday life, but rugby isn’t everyday life” last week but he will now be out of action until April. The 30-year-old moved to blindside flanker and relinquished the captaincy last year but is still a key figure for Jones.

He has started 12 of the 13 successive victories achieved by England since Jones took charge, missing only the end-of-season friendly against Wales. “Chris is a massive ‘glue’ player who does the unseen work,” Jones said at the two-day training camp in Brighton last week. “He is a really strong, consistent player and is a massive leader for us in an informal sense.”

Jones has hinted that Maro Itoje, who missed England’s autumn campaign with a hand injury, may make the switch from second row to blindside, while Tom Wood is also a contender for the No6 jersey he occupied during England’s disastrous 2015 World Cup campaign. Northampton’s Teimana Harrison is another option, along with the uncapped pair Josh Beaumont and Mike Williams.

It is desperate luck for Robshaw who is now denied the chance to shine during a Six Nations that will go a long way to determining the makeup of Warren Gatland’s squad for the British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand in the summer. Robshaw was overlooked by Gatland in 2013 and the back row is among the most competitive of positions for places in the touring party.

Jack Clifford, Robshaw’s Harlequins team-mate, also comes into the equation for England at blindside but he too missed Saturday’s 29-26 victory over Sale after suffering a concussion against Worcester. Marler withdrew from the match against Sale before kick-off with a calf injury and is likely to undergo a scan and, with Mako Vunipola out with a knee injury, Jones’s options at loosehead are limited. Billy Vunipola also has a knee injury and his fellow Saracens forward Kruis is recovering from a fractured cheekbone.

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Haskell lasted all of 35 seconds in his first appearance since June on Sunday in Wasps’ entertaining victory over Leicester, going off with a head injury shortly after coming off the bench. He must undergo the return-to-play protocols, meaning an appearance for Wasps in the Champions Cup against Toulouse on Saturday is unlikely. Elliot Daly was also withdrawn late on against Leicester with a head injury and Launchbury has a calf strain. Compounding Jones’s problemsat forward, Dylan Hartley’s six-week ban will leave him short of game time when France arrive at Twickenham.

Meanwhile, the Saracens duo Brad Barritt and Richard Barrington have been charged for the incident during Saturday’s draw with Exeter Chiefs that left Geoff Parling requiring lengthy treatment before being carried off.

Parling was caught in the jaw by Barritt’s swinging arm a moment before Richard Barrington’s shoulder connected with his head. Barrington was sent off and is charged with dangerous charging. Barritt went unpunished but has been cited for dangerous tackling in accordance with World Rugby’s clampdown on high tackles. The hearings will take place on Tuesday.

“I just wanted to express my sincere apologies to Geoff and the Premiership fans watching on Saturday,” wrote Barritt in a message posted on Twitter. “No one likes seeing a fellow player injured and it’s even more disappointing when I’m involved. I take responsibility for my misjudgment and assure you no malice was intended.”