ANDREW Sheridan has become England's latest injury casualty ahead of Sunday's RBS Six Nations clash with Italy in Rome.

Sale's giant prop destroyed the Australian front row in last October's World Cup quarter-final in Marseille, and his absence will be a huge blow to England.

Details of Sheridan's injury were due to be released at the England training camp in Bath later on Wednesday.

Sheridan joins centre Mike Tindall (bruised liver), wing David Strettle (foot) and flanker Lewis Moody (Achilles), who were all hurt during the 26-19 defeat against Wales, on the injured list, together with Moody's replacement, Wasps' Tom Rees (knee ligament).

But Jonny Wilkinson has avoided the axe, despite producing a poor performance at Twickenham.

Wilkinson kicked 14 points against Wales, leaving him just four short of reaching 1,000 for England.

Dropped

But his overall display left a lot to be desired. So much so, that some pundits believed head coach Brian Ashton should have dropped him for the first time in an illustrious 10-year Test career.

Ashton had fly-half alternatives in his squad - Danny Cipriani, Charlie Hodgson and Shane Geraghty - yet Wilkinson keeps the number 10 shirt and wins a 67th cap as England's most experienced player in Rome.

Ashton makes five changes following that defeat - four of them enforced through injuries.

Newcastle centre Jamie Noon takes over from Tindall in an all-Newcastle Falcons midfield, alongside Wilkinson and Toby Flood. It will be Noon's first England appearance since a knee injury forced him out of the World Cup last September.

Rugby league recruit Lesley Vainikolo, who went on for Strettle last Saturday, retains his place to gain a first Test start, while back-row switches see Bath flanker Michael Lipman and Harlequins number eight Nick Easter both included.

Lipman, London-born but educated in Australia, wins a fourth cap - he has not previously played in the Six Nations - with World Cup regular Easter returning following a knee injury that has sidelined him since December 29.

Easter's availability means no place in the starting line-up for Gloucester forward Luke Narraway, who started against Wales but now drops down to bench duty, where he will be joined by Sharks scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth.

England team: I Balshaw (Gloucester); P Sackey (Wasps), J Noon (Newcastle), T Flood (Newcastle), L Vainikolo (Gloucester); J Wilkinson (Newcastle), A Gomarsall (Harlequins); T Payne (Wasps), M Regan (Bristol), P Vickery (Wasps, capt), S Shaw (Wasps), S Borthwick (Bath), J Haskell (Wasps), M Lipman (Bath), N Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: L Mears (Bath), M Stevens (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), L Narraway (Gloucester), R Wigglesworth (Sale Sharks), D Cipriani (Wasps), M Tait (Newcastle).