England have been dealt a huge blow as Nathan Hughes and Courtney Lawes will undergo knee surgery after damaging ligaments during the loss to France, according to Sky Sports News.
Both back rowers had scans which revealed the real severity of their injuries and it has been confirmed that both players will require surgery.
Both players were immediately removed from the England squad by manager Eddie Jones after the loss to France and were replaced by flanker Don Armand.
Lawes is estimated to be out of action for about 14 weeks whilst Hughes is set to miss a minimum of 12 weeks.
The injuries are hugely unfortunate for England, who face Ireland at Twickenham on Saturday.
The England side has fallen to two consecutive defeats which handed the Six Nations title to their arch-rivals Ireland, who have also leapt over them in the world rankings into second place behind New Zealand.
England will be eager to deny Ireland the Grand Slam when they meet on Saturday but will miss the experience and strength of both Hughes and Lawes.
