Ulster and Ireland wing Andrew Trimble will miss the rest of the rugby season following confirmation he has suffered a reoccurrence of the toe injury that he sustained in October against Glasgow Warriors.

Trimble underwent surgery in London and is expected to be out of rugby until the summer.

The news brings to a close one of the most frustrating seasons of Trimble’s career, which comes immediately after one of the best of his career in 2013-14.

“This is not a career threatening injury or anything like that,” said an Ulster official. “Andrew expects to be back in July and get a good preseason in and hopefully work his way back into the Irish squad.”

Realistically Trimble would only have played in five or six Ulster Pro12 games had his return not been scuppered by the injury. Ulster are out of the European Champions Cup, but the 30-year-old would have also been involved with Ireland for the weeks of the Six Nations Championship.