England captain Steve Borthwick faces an anxious wait to discover whether a rib injury suffered in Saracens' 22-9 victory over Harlequins on Saturday will threaten his chances of playing against Australia.

Borthwick refused to be substituted until Saracens had secured a third straight victory that left them top of the Premiership table.

England could also have concerns over Jordan Turner-Hall, who is set to undergo an X-ray on a shoulder injury, and his Harlequins team-mate David Strettle, who has another potential foot problem.

Turner-Hall is a contender to replace the injured Riki Flutey as England's inside centre for the Tests, which start against Australia on November 7.

Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter admitted the loss of Borthwick would be a major blow for both club and country given the way he has started the season.

"Steve is a little bit of a worry for us. He will have a scan tomorrow (Sunday) and we will see how his rib is," Venter said.

"He is just so courageous. He hurt his rib but he stayed on the field for which I am massively thankful.

"He is playing really well, which is fantastic for England. He is a serious world-class international lock.

"It would be a blow (if it turns out to be a broken rib) but we will deal with that if it comes.

"It is very hard for a coach to set a standard and a culture if you don't have a captain like that."

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