Andrew Sheridan has been rested by Sale Sharks for their Guinness Premiership match at home to Leeds Carnegie this evening, but he will be fit to report for training with England next week before their RBS Six Nations Championship match against France in eight days’ time. Sheridan, the loose-head prop, missed England’s victory over Italy in Rome on Sunday after developing an abscess on his right heel when a cut became infected.

He is due to have tests to check for a weakness in his immune system, but his heel is no longer troubling him and Philippe Saint-Andre, Sale’s director of rugby, has rested him as a precaution. As a replacement for Sheridan, Saint-Andre has the luxury of bringing in Lionel Faure, who has started at loose-head for France in their Six Nations wins over Scotland and Ireland.

Sale have also been able to recall Rory Lamont on the wing. The Scotland player has recovered from the shoulder and ankle injuries that forced him to miss his country’s defeat by Wales on Saturday. Jason White, Lamont’s teammate for club and country, is also making an encouraging recovery from the concussion he suffered against Wales. White passed a fitness test on Wednesday and should be able to play against Ireland a week tomorrow, but Sale have not selected him for this evening’s match. Chris Mayor, the utility back and another absentee from the Sale team-sheet, has agreed to join Northampton at the end of the season.

Victory over Leeds with a bonus point would lift Sale into third place in the Premiership, while their opponents, who are five points adrift at the bottom of the table, are looking for only their second win of the season.

Italy have had to make two changes to their squad for the match against Wales. David Bortolussi, the goalkicking full back, could miss the rest of the tournament after injuring a shoulder and Kaine Robertson, the wing, is out with a thigh injury. Paolo Buso, the uncapped full back, and Ludovico Nitoglia, the wing, have been promoted from the Italy A squad.