Bristol scrum-half Shaun Perry's chances of playing for England in the RBS 6 Nations have suffered a blow with the news he will be out for several weeks after he damaged ribs in the win over Bath.
The 28-year-old, who has four England caps, was forced to leave the field during the 16-6 win at Ashton Gate on Wednesday which saw the west country outfit climb to the top of the league.
Head coach Richard Hill confirmed: Unfortunately, Shaun has popped a rib cartilage which could see him miss anything between three and six weeks.
We're resigned to him missing the next two league games at least and will be hoping to get Shaun back in time for the game at Northampton on January 27.
But it really does all depend on how quickly he heals. Three weeks is the best-case scenario and six weeks a pessimistic outlook.
England begin their RBS 6 Nations campaign against Scotland at Twickenham on February 3.