Jonathan Davies will miss the Six Nations after being ruled out for six months by the foot injury he suffered against Australia.
The Wales and Lions centre – who was man of the series against New Zealand this summer – needs surgery after falling awkwardly at the end of Saturday’s 29-21 defeat to the Wallabies.
It means Davies will miss the remainder of the autumn series of Tests against Georgia, New Zealand and South Africa as well as next year’s Six Nations.
The best it appears he can hope for is to make it back for the final few weeks of the season for the Scarlets, although it could be his campaign is already over.
It is another setback for the 29-year-old who has missed long spells due to previous injuries – including a knee problem suffered when playing for his previous club, Clermont Auvergne, that cost him a place at the 2015 World Cup.
He also missed half of the previous season due to a ruptured chest muscle and has also missed matches due to a pelvic injury.
Wales had already summoned Jamie Roberts to join their squad, having originally left the Harlequins centre out of the original selection.
Coach Warren Gatland must now decide whether or not to stick with the new midfield structure and game plan, that involved Owen Williams at inside centre and Davies outside him.
One option would be to keep Williams and replace Davies with Scott Williams, another who was originally overlooked but who can play at No.13 as well as No.12.
The other alternative would be to revert to previous methods and faces by picking Roberts and Scott Williams in a more familiar centre pairing.
A further, more radical alternative to face the All Blacks and the Springboks might be to pick Owen Watkins, the 21-year-old Ospreys centre alongside Owen Williams.
Watkin, who himself has just returned from a missed season through injury, made his Wales debut as a replacement against the Australians.
