Ulster Rugby's Stephen Ferris will miss the remainder of his club's Heineken Cup campaign after it was revealed that the Ireland and British and Irish Lions flanker would be sidelined for a further three months.
Ferris is also likely to miss this summer's British and Irish Lions' tour of Australia starting in June following surgery for an ongoing ankle problem.
Ferris, 27, has played only four times for Ulster this season and last started for Ireland in last year's Six Nations. He was in the Lions squad who travelled to South Africa four years ago, but injury ended his tour before the test matches against the Springboks.
Last season's beaten Heineken Cup finalists take on Saracens in the tournament quarter-final at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday, 6 April (kick-off 6.30).
