The Saracens star has decided for the season to leave his World Cup hopes in jeopardy

Billy Vunipola will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury that has put his World Cup chances in jeopardy.

The Saracens No.8 was carried off the Stade Marcel Deflandre on a stretcher in Sunday’s 24-10 Champions Cup quarter-final defeat at La Rochelle.

Vunipola underwent scans yesterday which led Saracens to rule him out for the rest of the current campaign.

Barnet bosses have not set a clear timeline on Vunipola’s recovery, but the 30-year-old will now face an uphill battle to be fit for the autumn’s World Cup in France.

“Billy is a big player on and off the field for us in terms of how he is as a senior player,” Saracens assistant coach Kevin Sorrell said. “His influence will be missed. Over the last four to five weeks we have been very pleased with what we have seen from Billy.

“He hurts us a lot both with and without the ball. There are two sides to anyone who has suffered a long-term injury. There’s also the physical side and the mental side and the support you need around that. Everyone will take care of Billy.”

Vunipola has been in good form with Saracens this season but was left out of New England boss Steve Borthwick’s Six Nations squad.

The powerful ball-carrier was eager to use the business end of this campaign to make his case for an England return as an added bonus on top of helping Saracens to yet more honours. Now both of their shared goals have been ruled out and Sarries must do without yet another back-to-back lead for the end of the Premiership campaign.

Theo McFarland was already a long-term absentee following knee ligament surgery, while Andy Christie suffered a broken arm in the Champions Cup last 16 win over the Ospreys which ended his season prematurely.

Callum Hunter-Hill’s return to fitness in the second row offsets growing concerns in the back row, with Nick Isiekwe and Maro Itoje both options in the back row as well as at lock.