England captain Dylan Hartley will discover on Wednesday whether he will be available for the early stages of next year's Six Nations after seeing red for the third time in his career.

The 30-year-old was dismissed six minutes after being brought off the bench in Northampton Saints' 47-10 defeat to Leinster at Franklin's Gardens for a stiff-arm strike on Sean O'Brien.

Hartley will appear before an independent hearing later this week to learn the full extent of his suspension, which could rule him out for the next eight weeks due to his lengthy disciplinary record.

A ban of two months or more will see him miss England's opener against France at Twickenham on February 4, which will likely mean Owen Farrell taking over the captaincy.

Hartley has previously been punished for a number of incidents, including biting, butting, swearing at a referee and gouging an opponent.