Wilkinson is helped from the field following his latest injury blow © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Jonny Wilkinson

Tournaments/Tours: Guinness Premiership

Teams: England | Newcastle Falcons

A top London surgeon believes Jonny Wilkinson has "a 90% chance" of being fit again before this season's Six Nations Championship.

Simon Moyes says England star Wilkinson can realistically expect a four-month recovery time from his latest injury. The Newcastle fly-half dislocated his knee-cap during Falcons' Guinness Premiership defeat at Gloucester eight days ago.

He underwent surgery less than 72 hours later, which was conducted without complications. Wilkinson, England's record Test match points scorer, has no chance of being involved in Twickenham appointments with the Pacific Islanders, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand next month. But he could be available at some stage of the Six Nations - although later, rather than sooner, given his probable lack of match practice - which England begin at home to Italy on February 7.

"His knee will probably be in a splint for six weeks, followed by an intensive physiotherapy programme thereafter," said Moyes, one of the UK's leading orthopaedic surgeons, who works out of the Wellington Hospital. "The earliest he would be likely to get back to top-level rugby in my view would be three months, but more likely four.

"I would estimate there will be a 90% chance of him doing so. The immediate treatment is to relocate the knee-cap, which is normally done on the field, then X-rays and MRI scans are taken to try and quantify the level of damage. Options then run from non-operative treatment, which is immobilisation in a splint or cast for six weeks, to the other end of the spectrum.

"This is arthroscopic assessment of the joint surface, a repair of the joint surface and repair of the muscular tendinous junction. I would expect Jonny would have had the latter."

Wilkinson, 29, was hurt just four games into his latest career comeback. He underwent summer shoulder surgery that made him unavailable for England's two-Test New Zealand tour, but the knee injury is just the latest in a painful catalogue of fitness problems since his drop-goal saw England 2003 World Cup winners.

It is expected that England boss Martin Johnson will promote fit-again Danny Cipriani to the senior squad as Wilkinson's replacement during the next fortnight. Moyes told PA Sport: "The knee-cap has a 'v' shape under surface while it sits in a corresponding groove on the distal femur. The knee-cap, when it dislocates, invariably does so laterally so that it sits on the outside of the knee.

"This dislocation therefore tears the muscular tendinous junction of the quadriceps muscles and tendons attached to the inner part of the knee-cap. In addition, damage to the bearing surfaces can also occur, and indeed usually do so."

Wilkinson's last England appearance was as a second-half substitute for his ex-Newcastle colleague Toby Flood against Ireland almost seven months ago, a 33-10 victory inspired by Cipriani.