Joe Marler can return to England squad if he changes his mind on international retirement, says Eddie Jones

The Harlequins prop called time on his international career at the age of 28 after struggling with the long periods away from his family

Eddie Jones has sent a clear message to Joe Marler that there remains a place for him in the England squad if he decides to rekindle his international career in the future, but the head coach did not consider contacting the recently retired prop in an attempt to ease his injury crisis.

The Australian named a 36-man squad on Thursday for the autumn internationals that is without Mako Vunipola, Ellis Genge, Beno Obano and Matt Mullan due to long-term injuries, and their absences are compounded by the fact that Harlequins prop Marler decided last month that, at the age of 28, he was retiring from international rugby due to the mental pressures that extended periods away from his family were causing.

With 58 caps to his name and a 2017 British and Irish Lions tourist, his decision saw England lose a considerable chunk of experience and talent from their front-row options. But it was also a decision that Jones gave his full backing, with the Australia wishing him well as he tries to cope with the mental strain of playing professional rugby.

But he did, however, leave an offer available for Marler to return to his set-up ahead of next year’s Rugby World Cup if he ever decides to change his mind.

“Playing Test rugby is a choice,” Jones said on Thursday. “Everyone has a choice how they prioritise their life. We all make priorities: whether our family or job is most important, whether recreation is most important. He’s made his decision, to me, in a very logical and coherent way. Good luck to him.

“But I’ve told him the door is always open. If he changes his mind – and people do – the door’s still open.”

In Marler’s absence, Jones called up Exeter’s uncapped prop Ben Moon and his club colleague Alec Hepburn, who has two caps to his name, but Jones made a surprise call by not naming a third loosehead prop in his squad. Given the rate of injuries that have struck his options at No 1, it was expected that one of Gloucester’s Val Rapava Ruskin, Bath’s Nathan Catt and Harlequins’ Lewis Boyce would be included, but Jones has elected against that due to limits on the number of players he can take to Portugal for their week-long training camp next week.

“We’ve got a third one in mind,” he added. “We know who that is. We’ve named 36 players but there’s a third choice for all of those positions. We can only take 36 players.”

Joe Marler called time on his England career aged 28 (Getty)

Not having their strongest options available for the tests against South Africa, New Zealand, Japan and Australia could leave England brutally exposed in the scrum, but there is little that Jones or any one else could have done about it. Vunipola, who has been the go-to man during Jones’ reign, was named England’s player of the year last season and is easily among the best looseheads in the world, but he suffered a calf tear last weekend in Saracens’ victory over Glasgow Warriors that will sideline him for six weeks and likely out of all four autumn internationals.

The 27-year-old subsequently joined Genge, Obano and Mullan on the injury list, and there was also clearly no swaying Marler in his decision given how bold the Quins forward had to be to call time on his career in the red rose.

“Being with England you have to spend an incredible amount of time away and I could not do that any more,” Marler said last month.

“It is an incredible commitment to play rugby for England and I strongly believe that if you are unable to give yourself fully to it then it is time to step away – otherwise it would not be fair on the team, or my family.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to represent my country and of course this has been a very difficult decision to make.”