England scrum-half Alex Mitchell to miss extended period after hamstring surgery

England scrum-half Alex Mitchell underwent hamstring surgery in Finland and is facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines, the BBC reported on 12 November 2026. The 29-year-old had the operation to address recurring hamstring problems.

Mitchell has sustained four hamstring injuries this year and was Steve Borthwick's first-choice nine last season. The latest of those injuries occurred during Northampton's win over Gloucester last month. He injured the same hamstring against Ireland in February and again against Fiji in July, and he tweaked his left, non-kicking hamstring during an England training camp in May. Mitchell told the i Paper last month that he had been given the option, like skipper Maro Itoje, to skip England's summer fixtures against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, but opted to play instead.

The operation was performed by Lasse Lempainen, a specialist in elite sporting injuries. Among Lempainen's previous patients are Chelsea and England defender Reece James and Paris St-Germain's Ballon D'Or winner Ousmane Dembele. Both returned to consistent playing time after a string of muscular injuries.

Mitchell's England team-mate Ben Curry was also operated on by Lempainen and made a successful return to action after 10 months out. Curry featured in England's win over Australia last weekend. He posted "hamstring final boss" beneath an Instagram post marking Mitchell's operation.

The latest injury ruled him out of England's Nations Championship campaign. The prognosis for Mitchell's latest recovery is not yet clear. Jack van Poortvliet has emerged as Borthwick's starting pick in Mitchell's absence, with Bristol's Harry Randall, Bath's Ben Spencer and Mitchell's club team-mate Archie McParland vying for places behind him.

The Six Nations begins in less than three months' time. Saturday 14 November, 16:40 GMT Live on BBC Radio 5 Live, the BBC Sport website and app.