Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau has been ruled out of the Six Nations because he needs another operation on his fractured arm, his club Bath said on Tuesday.
Faletau, 28, sustained the injury playing for Bath last month, a game which marked his comeback from a broken arm.
The British and Irish Lion, who has played more than 70 tests for Wales, had a slim chance of returning for the final Six Nations match at home to Ireland on March 16th.
“We’re gutted for Taulupe, but this is the best course of action for him moving forwards as a player,” Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder said in a statement.
“We will know more in terms of time frames following the surgery.”
Warren Gatland’s Wales have won their opening two Six Nations games and next meet England, who also secured victories in their first two matches, in a potential title decider in Cardiff on February 23rd.
Leigh Halfpenny, meanwhile, will return to Wales training tomorrow, his club coach Wayne Pivac has said. Scarlets fullback Halfpenny has not played since suffering a head injury against Australia during the November internationals.
“It’s great to see him running around with a smile on his face,” Pivac told reporters . “He did everything - full contact, full tackling. We had a mini-game scenario with no hiding places, and he was taking high balls, getting clattered and did everything he needed to do.
“He goes back to Wales available, we feed back information, medical team to medical team, and I have passed a little note on to Warren. Warren will make a call on what he does from there.”
