Mitchell’s hamstring surgery puts Six Nations in doubt

Alex Mitchell was operated on in Turku by Finnish surgeon Lasse Lempainen, who has previously treated Ben Curry.

Four injuries in 2026

Mitchell injured the same hamstring against Ireland in February and again against Fiji in July. In May he also hurt his other leg at an England training camp. The latest setback came on 31 October, in Northampton’s win over Gloucester (28-14). It had already ruled him out of the whole Nations Championship.

“The surgery went well, and now the focus shifts to rehabilitation,” Lasse Lempainen wrote on Instagram. Operated on by the same surgeon in March, Ben Curry returned to the England team this month after more than a year disrupted by injuries.

Van Poortvliet in the No 9 shirt

A starter in all three Six Nations matches he played in 2026, Mitchell started for the Lions against Argentina in 2025, then came off the bench in two of the three Tests in Australia. This season he has played five Premiership matches for Northampton, three as a starter, scoring two tries. In his absence, Steve Borthwick has handed the No 9 shirt to Jack van Poortvliet. The Six Nations starts in February.