Northampton Saints lock Selborne Boome will miss up to three months of action following an operation on his right knee.
The former Springbok underwent an operation on Wednesday to deal with some deep bone bruising that had been troubling him for a few months and had resulted in his knee swelling after each game he played.
However, the medical team hope Boome may recover before the three-month period which would see him resume training in February.
Saints announced the signing of Boome after the Stormers were beaten in the semi-final of the Super 12 tournament by the Canterbury Crusaders. Boome, who captained the side, will come to the Saints with a pedigree that includes 20 caps for the Springboks and his contribution to the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
