WASPS lock Joe Launchbury is in line to make a surprise Test debut against Fiji after being selected in England’s 23- man matchday squad.

Launchbury only linked up with England on Monday after being called in as injury cover for Tom Palmer but he has been preferred to both Mouritz Botha and George Robson.

England head coach Stuart Lancaster will finalise his starting XV tomorrow, with Launchbury likely to be on the bench as back-up to Palmer and lineout general Geoff Parling.

Launchbury is one of three uncapped players in the 23- man squad, although the inclusion of Saracens loosehead prop Mako Vunipola and Leicester hooker Tom Youngs had been well signposted.

Vunipola is expected to join Launchbury on the bench while Youngs is due to start in place of the injured Dylan Hartley, just three years after he switched from being a hard-running centre.

Botha and Robson were among ten players released back to their clubs tonight, a list that included loose-forwards James Haskell and Ben Morgan.

As a result, Thomas Waldrom appears to have retained the England number eight jersey while Tom Wood and Tom Johnson have both been preferred to Haskell and are vying to start at blindside flanker.

Wood has been included in an England matchday squad for the first time in nearly 14 injury-plagued months. The Northampton flanker’s last appearance was against Romania at the World Cup.

‘‘We have had a good two days back at Pennyhill Park and the players have been very focused on delivering against Fiji,’’ Lancaster said.

‘‘Saturday is a great opportunity for us to put a marker down and deliver a quality performance.

‘‘It’s great to have young players such as Mako Vunipola and Joe Launchbury get their opportunities in the matchday 23 and we are excited about the potential of the squad.

‘‘We were keen to get Joe in, particularly in light of his recent form.’’ Youngs played for England Under-20s as a centre before Heyneke Meyer, the former Leicester director of rugby and current South Africa coach, urged him to try hooker.

The transition began with a loan spell at Nottingham in 2009 and Youngs made such rapid progress that he was picked for England’s summer tour of South Africa before he had started an Aviva Premiership match at hooker.

Even now the 25-year-old has only started seven times in the league, plus two in the Heineken Cup, and question marks remain over his lineout throwing.

But with Dylan Hartley and Rob Webber both injured and Lee Mears now retired, England forwards coach Graham Rowntree has no qualms about throwing the 25-yearold into a Test match.

‘‘You can’t expect Tom to be the finished article from day one but the signs are he is going to be a very, very good player going forward,’’ Rowntree said.

‘‘You have to learn at the coal face and he is learning quickly.

‘‘I refer back to Dylan Hartley as a young hooker for England and Steve Thompson.

They were learning for long periods, throwing under pressure.

‘‘He has not had it all his own way in terms of the line out. In those where he has failed it’s not really been his fault.

‘‘What impresses me is how he has recovered from setbacks within games. He is a strong character and will get stronger and stronger.

‘‘I have known Tom since he was in the Leicester academy and to make such a radical change is impressive. His performances are a stand out.

‘‘You have to be able to throw and scrummage under pressure. The things he brings outside that, the real dynamic stuff, sets him ahead of other people.

‘‘Is he being pushed too quickly? I am not absolutely sure. The fact Dylan is injured means we have to look at him a bit earlier than we would have hoped to.

‘‘But from what I am seeing the signs are he will pass the test at the top level. I have every confidence in him.’’ Alex Corbisiero, Anthony Allen, Freddie Burns, Lee Dickson, Phil Dowson and Billy Twelvetrees have all been released to play for their clubs this weekend.