Scotland stars Finn Russell and Darcy Graham given surprise Six Nations injury verdict ahead of England clash

Gregor Townsend will be sweating over the pair's fitness as Twickenham calls

Scotland rugby stars Finn Russell and Darcy Graham are in surprise contention to face England in their Six Nations clash.

The talismanic duo could make their comeback for coach Gregor Townsend at Twickenham on Saturday after both were taken off with head injuries against Ireland. The nasty first half collision during the 32-18 defeat at Murrayfield a week ago on Saturday saw both players leave the field with concussion.

Doubt was then cast over both players' chances for the Calcutta Cup showdown. But assistant coach Pete Horne gave a positive update about their recovery, having both taken part in light training at the Scots’ warm-weather base in Oliva Nova, Spain.

Horne said both players were now on course to return in accordance with World Rugby’s 12-day turnaround rule. This is the minimum rest period for players who have a concussion or who are removed from a match with concussion symptoms.

“They're both progressing well through the protocols that are in place,” said Horne. “A 12-day turnaround is the best case scenario. They're both getting through their protocols at the moment. There are still a couple of days left until we finalise the team and things. There's a fair bit of training to do. I think depending on how that goes over the next couple of days, there's a chance that they could both play.

“They're not full training, but we did some light skills today [Monday] and they were both involved in that, which was good. Last week they were working with the physios and the doctor, getting through the first early stages of it. And then today they joined in for a bit of skills and things. We'll see how they are off the back of that.

“The view will be that they'll do a bit of training again tomorrow [Tuesday] and then see how we go from there. We'll see how it goes. But they're both progressing pretty well. They're in good spirits and they've certainly been a part of the sessions and things so far.

“They've still got certain things that they need to tick off. There won't be any risks or anything taken. So I'm sure the medics are right on top of it. And depending on how the next couple of days go, they've both got a chance of playing on Saturday.”