England flanker Brad Shields will be sidelined for four to six weeks after damaging a ligament in his foot at a training camp in Italy last week, assistant coach John Mitchell said on Tuesday.
Shields, 28, was replaced by Harlequins' Alex Dombrandt at the training camp and the Wasps back-row forward's recovery period casts doubts over participation in England's warm-up matches before the World Cup in Japan in September.
Head coach Eddie Jones is set to name his final 31-man squad on Aug. 12 -- a day after a warm-up game against Wales at Twickenham.
"Brad [Shieds] has got a tear in the lower foot," Mitchell told reporters. "It's always a little bit niggly, but it's four to six weeks for him. But we will continue to appraise his recovery and see where he gets to.
"Obviously we've got a deadline and that's important, but Eddie will decide on who's right and who's not right. There's plenty of time to go and there are no major concerns."
England winger Jack Nowell was sent home from the training camp on Monday for further medical assessment on an ankle injury that he sustained during the Gallagher Premiership Final in June.
England's next games will be against Wales and Ireland at Twickenham in August, and Italy in Newcastle on Sept 6, as part of the Quilter Internationals ahead of the start of the Rugby World Cup in Japan against Tonga on Sept 22.