Wales flanker Sam Warburton, one of the favourites to be captain for the British and Irish Lions' tour to New Zealand, has been ruled out for about six weeks because of a left knee injury.
Cardiff Blues coach Danny Wilson gave the injury prognosis on Tuesday after Warburton strained medial ligaments while playing for the Welsh province against Ulster on Friday.
If his recovery goes according to schedule, Warburton will have less than two weeks to recover his match fitness for the start of the Lions tour. The tourists' first match is on June 3 against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians in Whangarei.
Warburton is one of the stand-out options to captain the Lions, along with Wales teammate Alun Wyn Jones and Ireland hooker Rory Best.
Warburton captained the Lions for the 2013 tour to Australia.
"Sam has a low grade medial strain which will put him out for approximately six weeks, which won't interfere with the Lions," Wilson said.
"He shouldn't have any problem regarding the Lions.
"Knowing how diligent Sam will be, with all these things, you see players who get back quickly if they follow religiously the protocol and they get a bit of luck.
"And I am sure that will be the case with Sam in terms of him following the protocol, and then we will see, all being well, how quickly he can come back.
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