Glasgow Warriors back-row, Johnnie Beattie, is facing an injury lay-off of up to six months after being told he needs surgery on his shoulder.
The Scotland international will go under the knife in Edinburgh this week and he has been told he could be out of action for half a year but is holding out hope for a shorter-than-expected spell on the sidelines.
"It's probably too early to say definitively how long I'll be out," Beattie told Glasgow's website. "The surgeon is talking about a six-month window to get back but that's quite cautious and if I regain the strength at the same level as my right shoulder then it should be sooner."
Beattie looks certain to miss the openin rounds of Glasgow's Heineken Cup campaign and is also likely to be unavailable for Scotland's autumn Tests with New Zealand, South Africa and Samoa.
