Leinster have confirmed that flanker Sean O'Brien will miss up to the next six months of action due to an ongoing shoulder injury.
The 27-year-old, who has spent his entire senior career at Les Bleus, is to undergo reconstructive surgery tomorrow to rectify the issue.
O'Brien initially had his shoulder operated on last year, but the club revealed that it soon became infected which is the cause of the latest setback.
It means that the flanker will miss the pool stages of the Champions Cup and is also unlikely to feature in next year's Six Nations for Ireland.
