LONDON, January 12- England manager Martin Johnson made two changes in an expanded 33-man squad announced here Wednesday for next month's Six Nations championship.
Leicester lock Louis Deacon replaces the banned Gloucester second row Dave Attwood while Wasps scrum-half Joe Simpson comes in for injured club-mate Dominic Waldouck.
Leicester loose forward Tom Croft and Northampton second row Courtney Lawes – who have been ruled out of the tournament through shoulder and knee injuries – were included in the squad pending the naming of replacements.
Johnson has also added fly-half Charlie Hodgson into the player pool for the tournament, which kicks off against Wales in Cardiff on February 4.
Deacon returns to the squad after missing last year’s tour to Australia and the autumn internationals with a back injury, which enabled the combative Attwood to step up and impress Johnson.
Attwood however was ruled out of England’s opening matches against Wales and Italy after being banned for stamping during Gloucester’s recent European Challenge Cup defeat to La Rochelle.
Attwood was named in England’s second-tier Saxons squad although he could return to the senior ranks to replace Lawes once his suspension has run its course.
Forwards: George Chuter (Leicester Tigers), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Croft (Leicester Tigers), Louis Deacon (Leicester Tigers), Paul Doran-Jones (Gloucester), Nick Easter (Harlequins), Hendre Fourie (Leeds Carnegie), Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints), James Haskell (Stade Francais), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Lewis Moody (Bath Rugby), Tom Palmer (Stade Francais), Tim Payne (London Wasps), Simon Shaw (London Wasps), Andrew Sheridan (Sale Sharks), Steve Thompson (Leeds Carnegie), David Wilson (Bath Rugby), Joe Worsley (London Wasps).
Backs: Delon Armitage (London Irish), Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints), Matt Banahan (Bath Rugby), Danny Care (Harlequins), Mark Cueto (Sale Sharks), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers), Riki Flutey (London Wasps), Ben Foden (Northampton Saints), Shontayne Hape (Bath Rugby), Charlie Hodgson (Sale Sharks), Joe Simpson (London Wasps), David Strettle (Saracens), Mike Tindall (Gloucester Rugby), Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon), Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
