Jonny Wilkinson is currently recovering from shoulder surgery

Wilkinson has played less than an hour's rugby since the World Cup final four months ago.

And Woodward has no plans to select him for the tour to New Zealand and Australia, if he is not fully fit.

"I speak to Jonny a lot, and we've said he is not playing until he is fit. He is hoping to make the tour, but there is no definite yet," Woodward said.

Wilkinson sat out the entire RBS Six Nations campaign to recuperate from shoulder surgery, and there is no immediate prospect of him returning to action.

England face a demanding summer tour when they will face the All Blacks twice and Wallabies once.

Newcastle fly-half Wilkinson's absence would potentially be a huge blow, but head coach Woodward has adopted a philosophical approach.

Woodward added: "He obviously wants to go, he is extremely frustrated, but he will only go if he is 100%.

When he came to us last week there was still a lot of weakness in terms of the build up of his neck and shoulder Clive Woodward on Jonny Wilkinson

"I would rather leave him until the autumn unless he is absolutely right. There will be no short-cuts taken with him, especially.

"To throw him into a Test match against the All Blacks, having not played since November, would be a tall ask for anybody.

"When he came to us last week there was still a lot of weakness in terms of the build up of his neck and shoulder."

Woodward will spend the remainder of this season formulating his tour squad and he admitted that there is likely to be a number of new faces.

Sale Sharks hooker Andy Titterrell is a certainty for the trip, while Woodward and his coaching staff are also looking closely at Leeds scrum-half and England Under-21 Grand Slam captain Clive Stewart-Smith.

Woodward said England would have no fear of making the trip down under.

"There is no point hiding. In past eras, I think that England have shied away from these sort of tours and fixtures," he said.

"You can't be afraid of losing, and you have got to play against the best sides, especially when you've got new players coming in."