Johnson set to recall old hands

Martin Johnson is expected to inject some much-needed experience into the England squad for the RBS 6 Nations by recalling Gloucester centre Mike Tindall and Sale winger Mark Cueto.

Johnson will announce his revised 32-man elite squad at Twickenham on Wednesday morning and it is also set to include Gloucester's in-form full-back Olly Morgan.

Tindall was relegated to the Saxons squad after a disappointing summer tour to New Zealand while Cueto has not been seen in an England shirt since the 2007 World Cup final.

But they have both returned to form at the ideal time to help Johnson bridge a perceived generation gap that exists at the top end of England rugby.

Johnson's policy when he took over ahead of the autumn internationals was to blood a new team and he fielded a total of six debutants during November, including four in the same match.

England's inexperience was exposed by Australia, South Africa and New Zealand and the lack of leadership support for captain Steve Borthwick was a concerning theme throughout the campaign.

In Tindall, Johnson has recalled a World Cup-winning team-mate while Leicester flanker Lewis Moody is also vying for a return to the frame after overcoming an Achilles problem.

Josh Lewsey hung up his England boots after being overlooked for the November internationals while his Wasps club-mate Tom Palmer is out for the tournament with a shoulder injury.

Wasps flanker Tom Rees faces two months on the sidelines with knee ligament damage and will miss at least the first three matches, which could open the door for Moody.

England will have to create room for Tindall's inclusion in the midfield and that could come at the expense of Dan Hipkiss, who is currently carrying a hamstring injury, or possibly Olly Barkley.