Catt had hoped to make his comeback in a top-of-the-table Premiership clash between Bath and Wasps.

But the calf muscle injury he sustained during a training session last week has not healed sufficiently, and he will remain on the sidelines.

Catt has not played since Bath beat Leicester in the Premiership last November, having been consistently troubled by hamstring problems.

England head coach Sir Clive Woodward would now appear to have little option other than to exclude Catt from his plans for Sunday week's Italian job in Rome.

A fit Catt could possibly have been considered for the fly-half role vacated by injured World Cup star Jonny Wilkinson, but Woodward's choice now lies between Alex King, Olly Barkley or Paul Grayson.