French skipper and recently crowned IRB Player of the Year Fabien Galthie was forced to sit on the sidelines during Bernard Laporte's training session on Monday.

The scrum-half picked up a knee injury during his try-scoring display for Stade Francais against Begles Bordeaux on Saturday and sat out as a precaution.

Injury-prone centre Thomas Castaignede also was forced out of the second of the two sessions with a back injury, though it wasn't thought to be serious while there was more concern over a calf problem suffered by winger David Bory.

Bory, who forced his way back into the starting XV against Canada last November, has until Thursday to prove his fitness as that is the day when Laporte will announce the squad of 22 for the trip to Twickenham.

Their injury niggles added to the Imanol Harinordoquy's gastro-enteritis, fly-half Francois Gelez's shoulder injury and hooker Jean-Baptiste Rue's rib problem appeared not to have affected Laporte's sense of humour.

The reigning Six Nations champions kick of their 2003 season against England at Twickenham a week on Saturday and it is believed that Toulouse star Clement Poitreneaud could well get the nod ahead of Nicolas Brusque, who has been out injured in the past few weeks, while three players are contesting for one back row place in the squad - Bourgoin's Sebastien Chabal and Stade Francais duo Patrick Tabacco and Remy Martin.

Ahead of the big kick off Laporte has insisted that defence will once again be the key to their Championship challenge.

England have not lost at Twickenham since a 30-16 defeat by New Zealand on October 9, 1999, during the World Cup.