Mike Tindall is out of England's Six Nations opener against Italy tomorrow after injuring his back training in the gym.

Jamie Noon joined the camp yesterday and has been promoted into the starting line-up in the centre's place, with Mathew Tait retained on the bench.

"Mike is a bit sore. He was training in the gym yesterday and ricked his back. He is getting some treatment now," said the England manager Martin Johnson. "Jamie Noon is down and we have Tait who was named on the bench. They can both play at 13."

Noon started all four of England's autumn internationals but lost his place in the original match 22 after Johnson recalled Tindall to the senior squad. Tindall was brought in alongside Andy Goode and Mark Cueto to bring some experience to the side.

England have already been forced into one late change this week, with Harry Ellis now starting at scrum-half after Danny Care slipped on ice at the squad's Surrey training base and strained his ankle ligaments.

Tindall's is the latest in a long list of injuries that have hampered England's Six Nations preparations. Lewis Moody, Tom Rees, Tom Palmer, Michael Lipman, Toby Flood, Ugo Monye and Dan Hipkiss are all facing lay-offs, while Matt Stevens' drug-related absence has added further problems.

"These things happen. We don't sit around thinking: 'Oh, we have lost X, Y and Z'. Guys get hurt and you move on with the next guy. They are good players," added Johnson. "The statistics say that 25% of your squad will be injured at any one point, so it will happen.

"But we are thinking about the game. We have been in camp for two weeks and we want to play."