Lawes could return to the England squad for their match against Scotland

Courtney Lawes needs more time on the pitch to get him back to his best according to Northampton Saints' director of rugby Jim Mallinder.

The 20-year-old forward has recovered from a knee problem and could earn an England recall for this month's Six Nations match against Scotland.

"Courtney does need some game time," Mallinder told BBC Radio Northampton.

"He hasn't had enough rugby over the past few weeks and the lad just needs to play."

Lawes, who made his full England debut in the autumn international against Australia, has been tipped for a possible return to Martin Johnson's squad ahead of the trip to Murrayfield on 13 March.

"It's up to them to make a decision whether he's going to play or sit on the bench for them, or come back and play for us," added Mallinder.

"He played a full 80 minutes against Leicester last weekend which can only help him."

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