Ulster have confirmed that Tommy Bowe will need surgery after sustaining a knee injury in their Heineken Cup match against Northampton Saints yesterday.

The 28-year-old damaged the ligaments in his knee while attempting to tackle Jamie Elliott towards the end of the match.

A statement from the club said: "He will undergo surgery later this week to repair the damage.

"At this stage it is not possible to put a timescale on how long his recovery period will be.

"A further update on this will be issued following the surgery, when the full extent of the injury will be known."

Bowe has scored three tries in eight games for Ulster this season.