Jonny Wilkinson appears set to miss England's November internationals after undergoing surgery to remove an inflamed appendix.
The outhalf was taken ill with appendix problems while touring with his club Newcastle in Japan last month. He recovered and was due to play at the weekend but further problems led to the operation on Friday.
He now faces between four and six weeks out of action, making him highly unlikely to feature in England's games against Australia (November 12th), New Zealand (November 19th) and Samoa (November 26th). "I think it pretty much puts paid to the autumn internationals," Newcastle director of rugby Rob Andrew said after his team lost their Premiership game with Bristol on Sunday.
If Wilkinson were to miss the games it would make it two years since his last England appearance - when his drop goal won the World Cup final against Australia in November 2003.
He played for the Lions in New Zealand in June despite having only a handful of games for his club but looked way short of his best and was eventually ruled out of contention with neck and shoulder injuries. The 26-year-old was named as England captain by coach Andy Robinson when he took over from Clive Woodward last year, but has yet to lead the team.
