England have been dealt an injury blow ahead of the Nations Championship, with Guy Pepper ruled out of the upcoming fixtures.

The Bath back row suffered an ankle injury during last weekend's Gallagher PREM defeat to Gloucester at Kingsholm, forcing him off the pitch.

Bath confirmed in an injury update that Pepper will miss England's matches against Australia, Japan and New Zealand.

Steve Borthwick's side will then return to home soil for the Nations Championship finals weekend. Their opponents will depend on their final position in the northern hemisphere standings.

Pepper had already been listed as completing rehabilitation in England's squad announcement for their three-day training camp, which concludes today.

The 23-year-old began his professional career with Newcastle Falcons in 2021, scoring three tries in his first seven appearances.

His performances earned him a nomination for Premiership Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Season in 2024.

He moved to Bath ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, scoring on his league debut before playing a key role in their Premiership title-winning season. Pepper was named Man of the Match in the 2025 final.

After progressing through England's age-grade sides, he made his senior international debut as a replacement against Argentina in 2025. He scored his first England try against Fiji in July 2026.

Pepper has since established himself as an important part of Borthwick's plans.

He featured in all five matches of the Six Nations, starting four, before starting two of England's three summer Nations Championship fixtures and coming off the bench in the other.

His absence leaves England without a key back-row option and could force Borthwick to reconsider his selection ahead of the tournament.

Bath have also confirmed that Santiago Carreras has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), ruling him out for the remainder of the season.

Dan du Preez remains unavailable for selection, although there is more encouraging news elsewhere in the squad.

Will Muir, Henry Arundell and Tom de Glanville have all returned to team training, while Thompson Cowan and Billy Sela are expected to return in the coming weeks.

England back row Sam Underhill is targeting a return in early December, while Jamie Bhatti continues to work towards making his comeback in the New Year.

Pick your England XV

Think you can do better than Steve Borthwick? Pick your England starting XV for the Nations Championship using RUCK's interactive team selector and see how your choices compare with other fans. Does Henry Pollock make your team?