England lock George Martin out of British & Irish Lions tour as head coach Andy Farrell faces injury concerns
England lock George Martin has been ruled out of the British & Irish Lions tour of Australia as head coach Andy Farrell continues to deal with a series of fitness headaches.
Farrell will confirm his final squad for the hotly-anticipated series with the Wallabies at a glittering event at London's O2 Arena on Thursday.
But Mail Sport understands that Leicester enforcer Martin won't be named, as he hasn't recovered from the combination of knee and shoulder injuries which have disrupted his season.
Martin's fitness troubles also mean he won't be a part of England's summer tour of Argentina and the USA.
The 23-year-old hasn't played since he was replaced in the second half of England's Six Nations win over France on February 8.
Had he been fit, he would very much have been in Lions consideration, with two-time former captain Sam Warburton extolling his virtues as a potential tourist.
As the countdown to Thursday's announcement continues, Farrell has a number of injury concerns.
Leinster No 8 and potential captain Caelan Doris will this week have surgery on a shoulder problem. It looks likely the issue will keep him out for several months and means he won't be available for the crusade Down Under.
His expected absence means England captain and Saracens second row Maro Itoje is now the overwhelming favourite to be named as Lions skipper.
Behind the scrum, the situation is even more worrying for Farrell and his assistants, not least in the back three, where Ireland wing Mack Hansen has become the latest contender to join the growing casualty list.
Connacht have confirmed that he will miss their last two games of the season due to an ankle injury and Hansen is projected to be out of action for five weeks.
So many of those vying for back-line roles are racing to regain full fitness and match sharpness. Giant Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe suffered ankle damage while playing for Edinburgh against the Dragons on March 28.
The vague update has been that he will conclude his rehabilitation this month, but he may be deemed a risky selection due to a lack of game-time.
It is a similar predicament for sidelined England pair Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and George Furbank, while Scotland full-back Blair Kinghorn is injured and facing a late arrival on tour even if he does recover soon, due to club commitments with Toulouse.
Farrell has problems in midfield too, with England centre Ollie Lawrence out of the tour after Achilles surgery, Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones both injured and Bundee Aki of Ireland preparing to return from an enforced break.
Farrell also has a big fly-half decision to make.
Scotland's Finn Russell is a nailed-on selection, but England two Smiths – Fin and Marcus, George Ford, Owen Farrell and Ireland's Sam Prendergast are also vying for playmaker places.
Fin Smith has had a superb season, becoming England's first-choice No 10. He got the better of Prendergast when Northampton beat Leinster in a thrilling Investec Champions Cup semi-final last Saturday.
'You really go from not having thought about it to being like, 'I'm going to be pretty nervous when the announcement's happening',' Fin Smith told the ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast ahead of the Lions squad confirmation.
'I'm trying to prepare for the worst and if the best happens then how good!'
Smith chose to play for England despite both his parents being Scottish. His grandfather Tom Elliot was a Lions tourist in 1955.
'At least my dad could cheer for me this time if I'm playing for the Lions,' Smith said.
'We were up to see my granny not too long ago and she's still got all of his (Elliot's) Lions outfits.
'The blazer and the cap. I used to run around in those when I was a little lad, so it would be pretty special to have some of my stuff next to his if I did get called up.'
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