Veteran England prop Mako Vunipola has been quarantined over fears he was exposed to the coronavirus.
The Wellington-born powerhouse forward was named in England's 34-man squad for their remaining Six Nations fixtures on Tuesday (NZ time), but he's now unlikely to play any further part in the campaign.
Vunipola returned home from Tonga on the weekend, after attending a family funeral, but travelled back through virus-hit Hong Kong.
The 29-year-old's 14-day self-isolation period has been described as a precautionary measure by the Rugby Football Union.
"Mako is not with us now," said forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot. "He has got a medical issue, so he won't be available for the weekend.
"It is just something medical so he is out for the weekend.
"We were excited to have him back, he is a great presence and a very experienced player, but we have great depth in our looseheads and they have been playing well.
"It is a medical issue, between him and the doctor."
An RFU spokeswoman added: "Mako is not in camp on medical grounds.
"He is not sick, but it is a precaution."
The Six Nations has already had one game postponed, due to the coronavirus outbreak, while England's trip to Rome next week remains in serious doubt.
On Tuesday, tournament organisers said they didn't foresee any further disruption to the playing schedule.
