(Reuters) - Wales flanker Sam Warburton is unlikely to play again this year after opting to have surgery on a long-standing neck injury, his club Cardiff Blues said on Tuesday.
Warburton, who captained the British and Irish Lions during their drawn test tour with New Zealand earlier this year, will be out for up to four months, the Pro14 side said in a statement on their website.
"Sam Warburton will undergo surgery following a recurrence of a long-standing neck injury," the club said. "The Cardiff Blues flanker... exacerbated the injury in training this week."
Wales play Australia in Cardiff on Nov. 11 in the first of four autumn internationals, before matches against Georgia, New Zealand and South Africa.
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
