Alex Corbisiero in for debut after Andrew Sheridan blow

London Irish prop Alex Corbisiero will make his Test debut for England against Italy tomorrow after Andrew Sheridan was ruled out with a back injury.

Sheridan, caped 39 times, reported soreness after training yesterday and the decision to pull him out was made by England's medical team this morning.

Corbisiero, 23, played for the Saxons over the last two weekends and trained with the senior squad earlier this week.

England manager Martin Johnson opted to bring Corbisiero, who earlier today had been named in the Exiles side to face Newcastle in the Premiership, straight into the starting team, where he will lock horns with Leicester tight‑head Martin Castrogiovanni, rather than promote David Wilson off the bench.

Corbisiero's club-mate Delon Armitage has failed to get his eight‑week ban overturned, effectively ruling him out of the Six Nations. The full-back was suspended for pushing an anti‑doping official after the match against Bath on New Year's Day.

Armitage lost his appeal and his suspension ends just three days before England's final match of the Six Nations away to Ireland on 19 March.