Leinster have confirmed that Jack Boyle will undergo surgery on an injury suffered in the weekend's victory over Connacht in the United Rugby Championship.
Boyle came off after 20 minutes in Galway on Saturday with his provincial coach Cullen suggesting that his Guinness Six Nations hopes might be in tatters.
"It didn't look great," he said, after his side's 34-23 win.
"It looks like he'll be out for a while though, unfortunately. I'll find out, let's get the exact specifics on Monday."
And that confirmation has come this afternoon, with the province saying in a statement that, "Jack Boyle will undergo a procedure on his Achilles tendon this week."
Speaking at this morning's Six Nations launch in Edinburgh, Ireland coach Andy Farrell hinted that the injury to Boyle had come at a particularly inopportune time, with the loosehead prop showing form since missing out on game time in November.
"It is really devastating for Jack, what a terrible thing to happen for him," Farrell. said.
"He would have been disappointed in the autumn not to play. He's gone back and proved a point and that's the type of response that you want to see. And he would have known that his chance was coming around at an international level, you would have thought.
"And for him, at the last hurdle, to be pulled like that is a shame for us all."
Connacht's Billy Bohan has been called up to the Ireland squad for the tournament in Boyle's place.
