Bristol Bears will be without Pedro Rubiolo for the rest of the season after the Argentina lock had surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament.
The loss of Rubiolo has been compounded by the news that fellow second-rower Joe Batley will be out until May after dislocating his thumb in the Prem Rugby Cup match against Sale Sharks last weekend.
Director of rugby Pat Lam revealed the double blow to his pack as the Bears prepare to face Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in a fortnight.
Rubiolo will return to action next season while Batley, who was also facing surgery this week, is hoping to be back in May.
The Bears will also be without Rich Lane, who damaged a hamstring against Sale but should be back next month.
On the positive side, third-placed Bristol are set to welcome back Jake Woolmore, Steven Luatua, Lovejoy Chawatama, Noah Heward and Aidan Boshoff.
Lam said: “It’s a big blow to lose both of our starting second rows at this stage of the season. Pedro and Bats are hugely important players for us – not just in the pack, but in terms of the experience, work-rate and leadership they bring to our group.
“That said, if there’s one thing this season has shown, it’s the resilience of this squad.
“Since round one last September we’ve had to deal with a number of injuries, particularly to some of our most experienced players, yet the group has still put itself in a strong position – sitting in the top four of the Prem and reaching the Champions Cup play-offs.”
