Christian Wade Joins 10-man England Injury List to Wreck Six Nations Preparations

England's Six Nations campaign is on the brink of ruin two months out from the championship after Christian Wade became the 10<sup>th high-profile casualty after being ruled out for six months with a broken foot.

The 22 year old suffered the injury in the win over London Irish and after missing his country's autumn campaign will out of both the Six Nations starting in February and the test series in New Zealand next June.

Wade was rewarded for scoring 18 tries in the Premiership last season and being named the Rugby Players Association's Player and Young Player of the Year by winning his first England Test cap against Argentina before being called into the British and Irish Lions squad to face The Brumbies.

"It is devastating news for both the player and the Club," said Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young.

"Christian was hugely unlucky to miss out on being capped this autumn with England and he had hoped to push on and put in some good performances for Wasps to get him in contention for Six Nations selection.

"It is a huge blow for him but he is a young player with a huge future and his time will come around again."

Wade becomes the latest long-term injury victim for England ahead of a crucial 2014 which is expected to represent an accurate barometer of where Stuart Lancaster's side stand less than two years before the World Cup on home soil.

England begin their Six Nations campaign against France in Paris on 1 February and are set to be without at least 10 players who would have been in contention to feature in the championship opener.

Manu Tuilagi and Tom Croft missed England's autumn matches against Australia, Argentina and New Zealand with respective chest and knee injuries and an extended absence is expected.

Mako Vunipola and Marland Yarde played against Australia but injury forced them out of the remainder of the series and knee and hip problems will maintain their spell on the sidelines.

Fellow-Saracens man Will Fraser's suffered a leg injury in the win over Sale and stretchered off while Ben Foden's knee ligament injury will keep him out for three months.

Despite playing just 40 minutes of the autumn series against Argentina, Alex Corbisiero's knee surgery means he is out until the New Year while a similar injury for Joel Tomkins suffered against New Zealand sees him miss 12 weeks.

Geoff Parling played against Argentina and the All Blacks but shoulder surgery is expected to curtail his international involvement until after the Six Nations.

However, centre Brad Barritt, who missed the entire autumn series, is likely to return to the England fold should he recover from a foot injury.