England manager Martin Johnson gave a hint as to his possible selection for the team's opening November Test against the Pacific Islands by letting eight players return to their clubs.

Among those temporarily released for Anglo-Welsh Cup action this weekend were 2003 World Cup-winner Josh Lewsey, Leicester hooker George Chuter and Gloucester centre Olly Barkley.

Also returning to their clubs were Leicester's Jordan Crane and Dan Hipkiss as well as London Irish backs Peter Richards and Shane Geraghty and Wasps front-row Tim Payne.

All the players will return, fitness permitting, to the England squad's Bagshot base, south-west of London, on Sunday where they will be available for selection for the Pacific Islands clash at Twickenham on November 8.

Johnson was required to send several members of his squad back to their clubs as part of an agreement over player-release brokered between his paymasters at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premier Rugby.

The deal does allow Johnson to ensure the bulk of his squad have a weekend off before the start of a November campaign which also sees Australia, world champions South Africa and Tri-Nations kings New Zealand at Twickenham.

That would suggest the eight let out for Anglo-Welsh duty are unlikely to feature in the starting line-up against the Islanders.

Earlier this week 2003 World Cup-winning captain Johnson said: "It is a massive thing guys don't play at the weekend so they can come into the Test week fresh. This gives them the best opportunity to perform."

Full-back/wing Lewsey has been struggling for form this season and made the headlines for the wrong reasons after a training ground bust-up with Wasps and England team-mate Danny Cipriani, while Chuter's exit suggests Lee Mears and Dylan Hartley are Johnson's favoured options at hooker.

Geraghty has started just two matches for London Irish this season while fellow Exile and scrum-half Richards is down the England No.9 pecking order behind Danny Care and Harry Ellis.

In the back row, Nick Easter now appears to be edging ahead of Crane.

Easter and London Irish full-back Delon Armitage both remain with the England squad as cover for Luke Narraway and Mathew Tait, who are both undergoing treatment on hamstring injuries.

A decision on which of those four players will remain with the squad is expected on November 3.

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