The England scrum-half Alex Mitchell is in line for an unexpected return to Northampton’s matchday squad for this weekend’s Prem final against Exeter. A hamstring injury had threatened to rule Mitchell out of the rest of the domestic season but the Saints are now hopeful he will be available for Saturday’s finale at Allianz Stadium.

A fit Mitchell would be positive news for club and country after the 29-year-old tore a hamstring during an England training camp in Bagshot last month. At the time his club director of rugby, Phil Dowson, publicly expressed his frustration about Mitchell’s injury and suggested he would struggle to feature again this season.

Mitchell was also sidelined for two months after tearing his other hamstring during England’s Six Nations defeat by Ireland but is now back in contention to face Exeter. “There is a chance,” said Dowson, who is expected to keep faith with young Archie McParland as his starting No 9. “We have got to make sure we get the balance right and trust that if Alex does get involved he can do enough minutes to cover us off.”

The England head coach, Steve Borthwick, will also be relieved as he prepares to finalise his squad next Monday for this summer’s Nations Championship fixtures, starting with a trip to Johannesburg to face South Africa on 4 July. Intense national training camps in the closing weeks of a long season are not hugely popular with clubs still in contention for trophies and Phil Morrow, England’s head of performance, subsequently travelled to Northampton to discuss Mitchell’s injury with Dowson.

“I guess there’s always an emotional bit at the start and then we sit down and see what we can do better and whether there’s anything we can learn from it,” said Morrow. “Unfortunately, in all sports injuries happen and it’s frustrating when they do. So I appreciate Phil was frustrated at the time. But I met with him and his medical and strength and conditioning team and we had a good conversation.”

Northampton’s captain, George Furbank, meanwhile, has urged his players not to go into their shells as they go in search of Saints’ second Prem crown in three seasons. “We want to go out and just attack this game,” said Furbank. “Often in finals you can start to play within yourselves and play a bit safe. I don’t think we’re a good team when we do that. So for us it’s about going and expressing ourselves and performing the way that we want to perform.”