LONDON, March 28 - Wales halfback Mike Phillips will be out of action for six months after damaging knee ligaments playing for his club side Ospreys in a cup game against Saracens last weekend.

Phillips is to undergo an operation next week after suffering a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament and also to the medial collateral ligament.

He will miss the Ospreys' challenge for a domestic and European cup double as well as Wales' summer tour to South Africa.

Phillips established himself as Welsh halfback ahead of Dwayne Peel in the just-finished Six Nations tournament which saw the Welsh pull off the Grand Slam.

Ospreys physio Chris Towers said: "Mike has damaged two ligaments, causing considerable laxity in the knee.

"Having seen the specialist today, the opinion is that the treatment of choice for him is to undergo surgery to repair both ligaments in order to ensure the best functional outcome."

Towers is confident Phillips will return to action in time for Wales' autumn internationals against South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Australia - and be as good as new.

"These are relatively common injuries in contact and collision sports and unfortunately in this instance, completely unavoidable," Towers continued.

AFP