The former captain, who also missed the World Cup through injury, has sustained a calf injury which looks set to keep him out for two weeks meaning he is likely to miss the following week’s game against Scotland at the Millennium Stadium.

Huw Bennett now looks set to win his 50th cap in the No.2 shirt with a probable place on the bench become available for Scarlets’ Ken Owens.

With Gethin Jenkins also sidelined through injury Adam Jones is the only man standing from the 2009 British and Irish Lions starting front row.

Warren Gatland is also without his first-choice lock pairing of Alun Wyn Jones and Luke Charteris and there are doubts over the fitness of fly-half Rhys Priestland, centre Jamie Roberts and flanker Dan Lydiate.

Meanwhile two-time RBS 6 Nations winner Shane Williams is set to retire from all rugby at the end of this season.

According to reports, the ex-Wales winger had rejected a one-year extension to his Ospreys deal after retiring from internationals in December.

Williams won Grand Slams in 2005 and 2008 and scored 22 tries in 41 Six Nations matches for Wales retiring as the third highest try scorer in Championship history behind Brian O’Driscoll and Ian Smith.

He had a particularly fruitful 2008 tournament where he scored six tries in five games, a joint record haul for an individual player held along with Will Greenwood and Chris Ashton.

The 34-year-old made his debut for Wales against Italy in the 2000 Six Nations clash and scored a try to announce himself in international rugby.

He was a major figure in Wales’ 2005 Grand Slam - their first tournament win in the current format – scoring the decisive try against England and a stunning effort against Italy.

Williams broke Gareth Thomas’ try scoring record for Wales in the 2008 Grand Slam decider with France and was voted player of the tournament.

In an unimpressive Welsh 2010 campaign Williams still shone in his last RBS 6 Nations tournament, scoring a last-minute winning-try against Scotland and his 50th international try against Italy.

He retired with a tally of 60 test tries for Walesand the British and Irish Lions.