Smith started England's final four 2025 Six Nations games but Ford grasped the fly-half shirt last summer
Head coach Steve Borthwick is set to make sweeping changes to his backline as he attempts to revive England's Six Nations campaign in Italy on Saturday.
Two injuries and one change of role could mean not one position in the backline is filled by the same player as it was in England's previous game against Ireland.
Northampton's Fin Smith is in line to start at fly-half in place of George Ford while Gloucester's Seb Atkinson is poised to be England's inside centre in Rome.
With outside centre Ollie Lawrence ruled out with a knee problem, Tommy Freeman is likely to move in from the wing and resume his midfield role.
