Kyle Sinckler injury adds to Steve Borthwick’s England World Cup crisis as prop is ruled out of Fiji warm-up clash

England’s disastrous World Cup preparations continued as Kyle Sinckler became the ninth player on Steve Borthwick’s casualty list.

The prop is understood to be carrying a pectoral injury that will rule him out of Saturday’s game against Fiji, leaving him with a race to be fit for the opening World Cup group match with Argentina.

Sinckler was running at yesterday’s captains run at Twickenham but Borthwick is desperately low on man-power as the main event draws closer.

Captain Owen Farrell and No 8 Billy Vunipola are banned, while winger Anthony Watson and scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet have both been ruled out through injury.

Elliot Daly, Henry Arundell, Tom Curry and George Martin are among the short-term absentees, as Borthwick prepares to formalise his final 33-man squad on Monday.

Head coach Steve Borthwick will also be without a host of other players, with both Owen Farrell and Billy Vunipola suspended

Prop Joe Heyes has been around camp to provide cover for Sinckler, with England scheduled to fly out to France next week.

In a message of defiance, coach Kevin Sinfield said yesterday: ‘We didn’t envisage encountering as many challenges as we have had, but it will prepare us for what’s to come when we get to France.

‘In many ways the fact that we’re dealing with this now hopefully makes it easier for us when we get to France.

England are trying to build momentum ahead of their World Cup opener against Argentina on September 9

Borthwick’s side were beaten 29-10 by Ireland in Dublin last weekend

‘We were a tight group already, but how you handle those setbacks and those obstacles are really important to how the team moves forward and how the team functions.

‘After each one of those blows – if you call them that – we’ve got back up and gone again. We’ll continue to do that. These obstacles will continue to bring us closer together.

‘In another group, in one that wasn’t as experienced or as hungry to do well, it might have been really, really challenging for us.

‘When things start to pull apart there are fractures – groups start to break off and spend time together, sitting together and having separate meetings. There is none of that.’