Jack Nowell, the England wing, will have an operation next month on a longstanding knee problem which will rule him out of the summer tour of New Zealand.

The 20-year-old suffered a bad shoulder injury in Exeter's defeat by Leicester Tigers last month, just eight days after scoring his first Test try in England's thrashing of Italy, and he has not played since. That injury is nerve-based and just needs time to heal, but Exeter have decided to use Nowell's time on the sidelines to sort out his troublesome knee.

The absence of Nowell, who made his England debut in this season's opening Six Nations game against France, increases Chris Ashton's chances of a Test recall.

"Jack has a pretty bad shoulder injury," Rob Baxter, Exeter's head coach, told the Daily Mail. "It was going to be hit and miss to get him back in time for the end of the season and he also needs an operation on a long-term knee issue. This is an important chance to get on top of that situation.

"He is booked in for an operation as soon as the season finishes and we've let him go away for a break until then because he won't have a break for six to eight weeks after the surgery, when he'll be in rehab.

"The shoulder injury, because it's nerve-based, will just take time to heal naturally. Ironically, it has been his best season yet but he has only played six Premiership games. He's had the knee injury for pretty much all of his senior career."

Ashton's hopes of reclaiming his spot on the right wing for England have been boosted by recent performances for Saracens including their Heineken Cup defeat of Clermont Auvergne at the weekend, when he scored two tries and showed he had recovered his confidence. He last played for England in their 30-22 defeat by New Zealand in November.

Marland Yarde and Christian Wade have been hampered by injury, and the Saracens flanker Kelly Brown believes Stuart Lancaster should bring his 27-year-old team-mate in from the cold. "I just think he brings something a little bit different," Brown said. "I know there's been talk of England wanting something a bit different on the wing but I think he's the only player in England who plays the way he does.

"He follows things: he gets on the end of breaks, and in terms of stopping him, that's very difficult. I'm sure if he keeps going he can get back into that England mix."