England may be without Austin Healey for their entire Five Nations campaign if the English Rugby Football Union decides to charge and ban him for stamping. Yesterday London Irish formally cited the Leicester scrum-half after viewing the videotape of Saturday's 31-10 English Premiership win by the Tigers at Welford Road.

Leicester last night gave the player a club ban of 21 days meaning that he cannot be included in the international squad for Saturday's game against Scotland or the game against Ireland at Lansdowne Road, as well as missing a club game in the specified period. If London Irish consider the penalty sufficient they can withdraw their citing.

But if an RFU disciplinary committee hands him a suspension, Healey could be suspended for one to six months. The incident, in the 13th minute, left the London Irish scrum-half Kevin Putt with a deep gash near his right eye which required six stitches. Sky Sports replays clearly showed Healey's boot descending on Putt's head at a loosely formed ruck close to the Leicester 22.

Dick Best, the London Irish director of rugby, spoke to Dean Richards, the Leicester manager, before London Irish issued a brief statement. It read: "The club confirms it is citing Austin Healey for alleged stamping on Kevin Putt. The matter is now with the relevant authorities."

If Healey, who has won 16 caps, mostly on the wing, receives a lengthy ban he may miss all of England's Five Nations matches and possibly their tour to Australia in June. Healey was eager to pour oil on troubled waters after he learnt that television was highlighting the incident with numerous replays.

"It was a complete accident," he claimed. "I would never intentionally do that to anyone. I was looking for somewhere to put my foot down and I lost my balance. I would have hated it to be done to me so I apologised immediately to Kevin. I just hope that's the end of it."

Putt, who left the field for five minutes to have stitches inserted, made light of the incident, which was not seen by the referee Gareth Hughes. "I bear no grudges," he said. "It was one of those unfortunate things that happen in rugby. There was a bit of adrenalin pumping on my side, which is why I was unhappy. As far as I'm concerned the matter is closed."

If London Irish had not cited Healey the RFU could have exercised its right to do so. Healey, though, may benefit from his disciplinary record: he has never been sent off in a first-class game, nor has he a reputation for violent play.

The Leicester man might also benefit from a recent tendency to dish out lenient sentences to professional players for dangerous play: the going rate for stamping in Premiership One this season has been 30 days.

Meanwhile, Mike Catt and Tim Rodber have declared themselves available for England's Five Nations Championship match against Scotland on Saturday.

Catt, a utility back, suffered a dead leg when Bath lost to Wasps a week ago and had fluid on the knee all last week. But he said yesterday: "I am fit for selection if required. I ran comfortably today. I would not make myself available if I were not fit. I made that mistake once before; never again."

Catt is the obvious candidate to fill in at centre alongside his clubmate Jeremy Guscott, making it his fourth position for England after appearances at out-half full-back and wing. He was chosen at centre last season but an injury to Alex King saw him shifted to out-half.

Woodward said: "Without the injured Phil de Glanville and Will Greenwood, centre is my only selection problem." He has the teenager Jonny Wilkinson as another option.

Rodber, the Northampton lock, has rested a rib injury for three weeks but had recovered last week and said: "I could have played our Anglo-Welsh friendly but it made sense to have one more week off.

"I have trained as hard as preseason and there is no reduction in match hardness through missing two or three games at this time of the season." Rodber, converted from flanker to second-row this season, is expected to continue his alliance with Martin Johnson which transformed the make-up of England's scrum in the Tests against Australia and South Africa.

Woodward will be happy that two of his proteges, the wing David Rees and full-back Matt Perry, are now fit, and Dan Luger is expected to fight off the challenge of experienced Tony Underwood for the left-wing slot.

The coach's only other dilemma is at scrum-half between Matt Dawson and Kyran Bracken, who have been competing there for over five years. Bracken has won the cap race with 19 against Dawson's 18.

Dawson was a broad-shouldered captain on the losing summer tour of the Southern Hemisphere and revealed unexpected nerveless goalkicking in England's win against South Africa in December.

But Woodward has always chosen Bracken, when fit, above Dawson and currently Bracken is bursting with energy and skill at Saracens.