Parisse played in all five of the Azzurri’s 2012 RBS 6 Nations games, leading the side off the bottom of the table with a final day win over Scotland, and avoiding the Wooden Spoon, for the first time since the 2007 Championship.

But in the 35th minute of Stade Francais’ 16-5 loss to Biarritz in the Top 14, which cut short the Parisians’ hopes of making the play-offs, his season was ended amid fears he may have fractured his leg.

A scan on Monday revealed the 28-year-old will only be out for between 5-6 weeks with a torn muscle, forcing him to skip his country’s tour on the other side of the Atlantic.

The Italians will play three Tests in June, against Argentina, Canada and the USA and Parisse’s absence will be a blow to head coach Jacques Brunel’s preparations.

Yet this is not the first time Italy have had to make do without their 88-times-capped No. 8 and skipper.

For the entirety of the 2010 RBS 6 Nations Treviso flanker Alessandro Zanni deputised at the back of the scrum as Parisse recovered from a training ground incident in which he damaged the anterior cruciate ligaments in his knee.