Northampton Saints flanker Courtney Lawes has been ruled out of England's upcoming tour of South Africa.
The 23-year-old is currently suffering from a shin injury that has limited his number of appearances this season.
Reports had claimed the he may recover in time for England's trip to the southern hemisphere in June.
However, Saints coach Jim Mallinder has ended that speculation by revealing that the complaint is still causing Lawes discomfort.
"He's gutted. You want to be involved in the big games," Mallinder told BBC Northampton. "He's been a bit unfortunate [but] he'll come back fighting fit. He's got a lot of years to go."
Lawes has made 13 appearances for England.
