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Wales forward Christ Tshiunza is unlikely to be fit for the Six Nations.
The back-row has not played since breaking his foot playing for Exeter on the opening weekend of the Prem Rugby season in September.
The 24-year-old won the last of his 15 Wales caps against South Africa in November 2024 and has battled foot injuries for more than a year.
“We’ve got to be a little bit careful because he’s kind of re-damaged the same area two or three times now,” Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Sport.
“It’s just one of those ones where we’re going to have to be a little careful because the next stage is to put a screw in the bone in his foot.
“It’s one of those things you just don’t want to do unless you really, really have to, it’s a relatively complex structure.
“He’s just been very, very unlucky, almost freakish really, how he’s damaged the same area two or three times.”
Baxter says Tshiunza is beginning to come to the end of his rehabilitation, and may struggle to be fit enough to play for Wales over the spring.
Wales start their campaign against England on Saturday, 7 February with their concluding fixture at home to Italy on 14 March.
“I wouldn’t want to rule him out of being available towards the end [of the Six Nations], because it’s such an extended competition, isn’t it?” Baxter added.
“But I would say, here and now, I think it would be unlikely.
“There’s still eight Premiership games left out of 18, we’re still kind of about halfway through the Premiership season, so if we can get him back for the end of the Premiership season, then he’ll still have plenty of game time.”
