Rob Andrew said it was down to James Haskell to sort out the club v country row that has seen the Rugby Football Union refuse to release the flanker to French side Stade Francais this weekend.
"The position is between the player and the club," Andrew, the RFU's director of elite rugby, told reporters on Thursday.
"There is no issue here between the RFU and Stade Francais."
The Paris-based club are desperate to have Haskell in their side for Saturday's key Top 14 clash against Toulouse.
There are no Six Nations matches this weekend and International Rugby Board regulations state clubs have first call on players in non-international weeks.
However, England have repeatedly insisted that players based in France would only be considered for Test duty if they could guarantee being available whenever called upon by manager Martin Johnson.
England's 2003 World Cup-winning captain wants to keep Haskell, who has started all three matches of the current Six Nations campaign in camp ahead of next weekend's clash away to Scotland.
Under an agreement between the RFU and England's Premiership clubs, England's players do not play domestically during the competition unless released by Johnson.
There is no such agreement between the RFU and French clubs but Andrew said England had received assurances from Haskell he had a separate deal with Stade that allows for him to stay with the Test squad this week.
"We can only go on an undertaking from the lawyer - which we have from James' lawyer - that he has the release periods that we require in his agreement with his club," former England fly-half Andrew said.
But it is the interpretation of that agreement which is central to this issue, with Stade president Max Guazzini saying this week: "We have contacted the English Federation to ask them to release Haskell.
"We have also contacted the player to ask him to return here immediately. Stade Francais is not an English club, and is not bound by this agreement."
Guazzini went further Wednesday saying it was wrong for French clubs to "finance the preparation" of the England team when they, unlike their English counterparts, were not receiving millions of pounds in player release compensation from the RFU.
But equally Twickenham chiefs won't want to finance French club rugby and Andrew said: "There is no agreement between the RFU and Stade Francais.
"There never has been and there are no agreements between the RFU and any of the (French) clubs."
Haskell may be unfit in any event this weekend after he became the latest England player to go down with a stomach bug and did not train Thursday with his place taken by Joe Worsley.
Johnson responded to suggestions the player's illness was "convenient" by saying: "I spoke to the doctor and he said the symptoms could not be faked."
Of the England side that started last weekend's 20-16 loss to Ireland, three players - centre Riki Flutey (Brive), fly-half Jonny Wilkinson (Toulon) and Haskell - are now based in France.
Stade are presently seventh, a place outside the top six sides that will qualify the end of season play-offs and five points behind Racing-Metro, whilst Toulouse are fourth with six matches remaining.
