Further frustration for Clark results in a first England call-up for old Leeds colleague Myall

Northampton flanker Clark – who left Leeds in the summer of 2010 – has been ruled out of England action for a third time in 12 months after he failed to overcome an ankle injury in time to make the tour of Uruguay and Argentina.

Wasps-bound lock Myall, 26, – who was born in Huddersfield and played for Leeds until the end of the 2010-11 season – is the only player to have been called up as a replacement, with England now taking 31 players for Sunday’s tour match in Montevideo and the two Tests against the Pumas.

Myall played 41 times for Sale and has earned his first call-up to the England squad.

The other player leaving Stuart Lancaster’s touring party is Leicester lock Ed Slater after he suffered a recurrence of a triceps injury in the Tigers’ Premiership final victory over Northampton.

For Clark, 23, it is yet another international setback.

The Stockton-born flanker was ruled out of England’s 2012 summer tour of South Africa and the autumn internationals that followed after receiving a record 32-week ban for breaking the arm of Leicester hooker Rob Hawkins.

Lancaster stood by the former Leeds man and recalled him for the Six Nations, only for the player to suffer a shoulder injury in January that sidelined him for the whole tournament.

Clark was selected again for England’s three-match tour of South America but he failed a fitness test with Northampton on Thursday and will not be ready for the forthcoming Test series.

“I feel for him,” said Lancaster. “He is desperately unlucky, one to miss out on a big final for his club and to miss out on a tour again compounds the frustration from missing the Six Nations.

“He has been unlucky with the injuries. We assessed his ankle and it clearly was not going to be right until beyond the first Test and because of that it would take him out of contention.”

Lancaster plans wholesale changes for the opening game against a South American XV in Montevideo on Sunday, with the Northampton contingent – including Huddersfield-born Luther Burrell – who lost to Leicester all set to be given a chance to “get straight back on the horse”.