Maro Itoje is set to be named captain of the British & Irish Lions on Thursday ahead of their tour of Australia, sources have confirmed to ESPN.
Itoje, 30, will become just the second Englishman to captain the tourists in the professional era.
The England skipper emerged as the front runner for the honour after Caelan Doris sustained a shoulder injury in Leinster’s Champions Cup defeat to Northampton on Saturday.
The official announcement will come on Thursday when Lions coach Andy Farrell names his squad for the tour. It is expected that Farrell will name a 40-player group, with 22 forwards and 18 backs.
The captaincy was long seen to be a two-horse race between Doris and Itoje.
Farrell chose Doris as his Ireland captain ahead of last year’s November internationals, an honour he carried through the Six Nations.
Itoje is one of the few guaranteed starters in a Lions XV having captained both Saracens and England this season.
Itoje’s stock as a potential Lions captain grew during the Six Nations as he took to the job as England skipper seemingly with ease, while maintaining a brilliant level of form.
Doris led Ireland through the championship and it was set to be a close call between the two until Doris picked up that injury on Saturday.
The length of time Doris will be sidelined for is yet to be announced as he undergoes shoulder surgery, but the call to go with Itoje suggests there’s enough concern around the severity of Doris’ injury to go with the fit Itoje.
Itoje follows in the footsteps of fellow Englishman Martin Johnson in skippering the Lions after Johnson took the honour for both the 1997 and 2001 tours.
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