Newcastle fly-half Jonny Wilkinson faces more time on the sidelines after injuring his neck during Sunday's 23-19 victory over Northampton.
Wilkinson, who was making his return from a broken facet in his shoulder, left the field early following a tackle on Saints' wing Jon Clarke.
X-rays later revealed he had suffered muscle damage, but coach Rob Andrew told BBC Sport he expects Wilkinson to be fit for the Six Nations.
"He led with his head which twisted to one side. It has affected the area he had the fracture in but the X-ray has shown it has not caused any further damage," Andrew said.
"There is soft-tissue damage from a very heavy tackle. It's a bit early to say at this stage how long he will be out.
"We just need to let it settle for a couple of days before we know the extent of the injury.  |  He wouldn't have played if he was not right to play |
"I don't expect him to miss the Six Nations. He may well not play next week but we are talking a few weeks probably rather than anything serious. " Wilkinson looked frustrated at having to leave the match early and Andrew admitted his star player was sorely disappointed.
"He is pretty fed up, as you would expect from anyone who has missed the last five weeks since the World Cup," he said.
"He has been desperate to play."
Wilkinson's departure 15 minutes into the second half on Sunday was another cause for concern for England head coach Clive Woodward.
Woodward was already digesting the news that Bath centre Mike Tindall will miss England's Six Nations campaign after rupturing ankle ligaments.
Wilkinson was due to make his first Newcastle appearance of the season a fortnight ago but was forced to delay his return when X-rays revealed a fractured bone in his shoulder.
Andrew defended his decision to bring back his star stand-off, insisting there was no medical barrier to his comeback.
"He wouldn't have played if he was not right to play," he added. "He even had another X-ray on Friday to make sure he was alright."
MMIX
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