Six Nations:England captain Lewis Moody has linked up with the squad ahead of Saturday's pivotal Six Nations showdown with France after making a successful return from a knee injury.

The Bath flanker was sidelined for five weeks with ligament damage, leaving Mike Tindall to lead England in their opening two victories over Wales and Italy.

Moody had always maintained the France game was a realistic target and he played the last 23 minutes of Bath's Aviva Premiership victory over Northampton at the weekend.

England manager Martin Johnson has decided not to recall Leicester flanker Tom Croft, who also returned to action at the weekend after three months out recovering from a fractured shoulder.

Croft will remain with Leicester "to continue his return to full match action" while Harlequins captain Chris Robshaw has been called into the training squad in place of Joe Worsley, who has a neck injury.

"My focus now is playing for Leicester,” he said. “I got 20 minutes in this game and hopefully I can have more game time next week and get back to fitness and into the swing of things, just get back into the Leicester way of things and go from there.

“Martin Johnson kept tabs on me to see how I was doing but the England team are going well and have had two great wins from two games.

Johnson has also brought London Irish prop Alex Corbisiero back into the squad in place of David Wilson, who is receiving treatment for an ankle injury.

Corbisiero made a successful England debut against Italy after being called up as a late replacement for Andrew Sheridan, who had a back injury but is now fit again.

If Moody is deemed fit to lead England against France, Johnson will have to decide whether to drop James Haskell or Tom Wood.

Johnson will name his team to play France, the only other unbeaten team in the championship, on Thursday.