Premier Rugby will take a sympathetic view if England's team manager, Martin Johnson, asks for front-row reinforcements from outside the two senior national squads for next month's internationals at Twickenham after Phil Vickery today joined a lengthy injury-list.

The Wasps tight-head prop was ruled out of action for at least three months because he needs an operation on his neck. Andrew Sheridan, who partnered Vickery in the Lions front row in the final Test against South Africa in July, was yesterday sidelined for four months because he requires shoulder surgery.

It leaves Johnson with just three fit props in his senior squad for the internationals against Australia, Argentina, who are renowned scrummagers, and New Zealand. They are Julian White, Tim Payne and David Wilson, the latter returning to action last Sunday after a seven-week lay‑off with a knee ligament injury.

Under the agreement between Twickenham and the Premiership clubs, Johnson can only promote from the Saxons squad but his options there are limited by injury. Worcester's Matt Mullan is unavailable next month, Dan Cole of Leicester has yet to play this season and Gloucester's Nick Wood has missed the last five weeks with a foot injury. Alex Corbisiero of London Irish has not appeared this season because of a knee strain but he is in contention for the Premiership game against Leicester on Saturday, and Saracens' Tom Mercey has only made four appearances from the bench.

Johnson needs another loose-head prop for his senior squad. The most experienced available is Bath's David Flatman, who has won eight caps but Johnson would need permission from Premier Rugby to go outside the two senior squads. The Bath tight-head Duncan Bell would be another option to him, although the club could be short up front for their Premiership match at Worcester on 20 November with Wilson also on their books.

Johnson did summon the full-back Delon Armitage from nowhere a year ago and a Premier Rugby spokesman said: "While the rules do state that replacements have to come from the Saxons, who would in turn be replenished by players from the Under‑20 squad, front row is a specialist area where safety is of paramount concern. If Martin felt he needed to go outside the two squads, the request would be dealt with sympathetically."

Vickery, 33, has come back from major back operations three times but his neck problem is not seen as career-threatening. He complained of pins and needles in both arms after the Amlin Challenge Cup tie with Racing Metro 92 this month and a neurosurgeon recommended surgery.

His absence is an added blow for Johnson because the Wasp covered both sides of the scrum. Argentina named their training squad this week for their autumn internationals and it included the 19st 11lb tight-head Martin Scelzo, who has been in imposing form for Clermont Auvergne this season, while the Leicester loose-head Marcos Ayerza will be involved in the tour.

Johnson's club options beyond Flatman and Bell are limited. Most of the props who started the European matches for the Premiership clubs last weekend were not qualified to play for England and it is perhaps as well for England that the rule adopted in the league and Europe which forces sides to have a complete front row on its bench will not be adopted in next month's Tests.

Johnson will have to go into the international against Australia on 7 November without four of the front five that started the final match in last season's Six Nations against Scotland. The entire front row will be absent, with knee ligament damage keeping the Bath hooker Lee Mears on the sidelines for the next eight weeks, while the second row Simon Shaw has not played for Wasps this season because of a foot injury: Shaw has started running, but no date has been put on his comeback. Sheridan, Mears, Vickery and Shaw were all on the Lions tour to South Africa.

Shaw hopes to be available for England's game against New Zealand on 21 November. "I've spoken to Martin Johnson about the injury and he agreed it was best for me to start playing at Wasps and then have a look at things again to see if I'm fit and available for the end," said Shaw, who plans to make his club comeback against Leeds on 1 November. "It has been frustrating. I ran for the first time last week without any reaction. The England medical team have been monitoring me and I'll see them again tomorrow."

Wales's Adam Jones and Martyn Williams have not played since that trip, while their international colleagues, Lee Byrne and Mike Phillips, will not play again this year because of foot injuries. The scrum-half Phillips will be out for three months after damaging ankle ligaments against Clermont last Sunday.

In addition, Riki Flutey will miss the autumn campaign because of a shoulder problem, the Leicester scrum-half Harry Ellis has been out for five weeks with a leg injury while the Wasps flanker Joe Worsley has a neck problem but is expected to resume training later this week.

Johnson will be forced to name an extra outside-half when he next week names his squad for the autumn campaign. Toby Flood is expected to return for Leicester against Newport Gwent Dragons on 14 November after recovering from an achilles tendon injury. Danny Cipriani will not be among the candidates to replace him because of a knee strain while England have a potential problem at full-back with Delon Armitage sidelined until next year and Olly Morgan absent for the last month with a hamstring strain.ends