Ellis was one of three number nines chosen in the elite squad last Wednesday, but he joins fellow Test caps Jordan Crane, also of Tigers, and Bath full-back Nick Abendanon in an otherwise youthful 21-man party to face Portugal at Edgeley Park on Friday, January 30.

The run-out will be crucial for the 26-year-old, who has not played since being banned for six weeks for a spear tackle on Perpignan's New Zealand star Dan Carter last month.

Head coach Stuart Lancaster's squad contains no players from Gloucester, London Irish, Harlequins, Northampton, Worcester or Sale, due to the rearranged Guinness Premiership matches taking place the next day.

The absence of so much potential talent has freed up places for a host of promising youngsters, including four members of England's Under-20 World Cup final team - Noah Cato, Alex Goode, Nathan Catt and Joe Simpson.

Leicester duo Dan Cole and Matt Smith, Leeds back-row forward Kearnan Myall and Bristol fly-half Ed Barnes are also in line to make their Saxons debuts.

Coach Lancaster said: "With a number of our regular Saxons players involved in rearranged club fixtures, this match is a great opportunity for some of our talented young players coming through the programme, those just outside the current elite player squads, to showcase their talents on the international stage and put a marker down for the future.

"It is a great opportunity and hopefully we can put together a cohesive and exciting game plan in a short space of time to allow the players to express themselves."