South Africa captain Jean de Villiers is in a race against time to be fit for next year's World Cup after being told that he will need to undergo surgery on his injured left knee.
De Villiers suffered a dislocated knee cap and major ligament damage in South Africa's autumn test defeat to England last weekend and will now go under the knife for surgical reconstruction.
He is expected to be out of action for up to eight months as a result.
Springbok team doctor Craig Roberts said: "We are currently consulting with the best specialists in South Africa to determine the best way to approach the surgery as there are potentially a few options available.
"It’s imperative that the best course of action is decided on so that Jean can start recovery and rehabilitation as soon as possible to give him the best chance to be fit for the World Cup.
"At this stage it’s still difficult to determine how long he will be out of action, but it would probably be at least eight months."
