England vs Wales: Manu Tuilagi will make comeback despite fitness issue

Manu Tuilagi will make his England comeback against Wales on Saturday, nearly two years after his last Test appearance.

The centre has not played for England since the final Test of the tour of New Zealand in June 2014, after which he endured 15 months out with a serious groin injury.

He has been included in a 24-strong squad despite Richard Cockerill, the Leicester director of rugby, insisting his player is still “four or five” matches away from being fully fit for international rugby.

England coach Eddie Jones has listened to Cockerill but is adamant that Tuilagi (above), who has 25 caps and appeared in one Test for the Lions, is capable of making a significant impact from the replacements’ bench against Wales.

Jones is expected to follow Wales’ lead by naming an unchanged team, with Maro Itoje retaining his second-row place.

Flanker James Haskell has no doubts that Tuilagi is ready for a recall. He said: “Manu is pretty special. He is pace, power and strength personified. I have played with him against some of the best teams in the world and he causes everybody trouble.”

England have named 24 players at this stage, one more than they will take to Twickenham on Saturday, because there is a serious doubt over Saracens hooker Jamie George. Exeter’s Luke Cowan-Dickie has been retained as cover for George, who hurt an arm during training yesterday.

If George fails to recover, Cowan-Dickie will join a bench that includes Northampton tight-head Kieran Brookes, who has taken over from club-mate Paul Hill.

Joe Launchbury is also expected to start the game at Twickenham on the bench after replacing the injured Courtney Lawes.

Saracens’ Alex Goode has been left out and will today head to New York for the club’s special game with London Irish this weekend.