Bath's England prop Matt Stevens has been ruled out for up to six months following an operation on his injured right shoulder.
Stevens was forced to miss the recent RBS 6 Nations Championship matches against Scotland and Ireland as well Bath's Heineken Cup semi-final at Leicester last Saturday.
It was decided the 23-year-old should undergo surgery to correct the problem, ruling him out of England's summer tour of Australia.
England coach Andy Robinson said: "Matt is an important part of the England squad and made a big contribution during the Autumn Investec Challenge series and the RBS 6 Nations.
"He will be missed by Bath Rugby during this crucial time of the season and by ourselves on the tour to Australia and we wish him a swift and full recovery."
Stevens' loss is also a serious blow for Bath ahead of their Heineken Cup semi-final against Biarritz.
Head coach Brian Ashton said: "We are sorry to be losing Matt for the rest of the season. We wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he will be back in time for the start of the new season."
