Gethin Jenkins will miss Wales' Six Nations tilt © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Gethin Jenkins

Tournaments/Tours: Six Nations | Magners League

Teams: Cardiff Blues | Wales

Wales have suffered a major blow to their Six Nations aspirations after prop Gethin Jenkins was ruled out for 10-12 weeks with a toe injury.

The Cardiff Blues loose-head will undergo surgery on the problem on Wednesday, opening the door to the Ospreys' Paul James as his likely replacement.

Following consultation between the Blues and Wales over the timing of the surgery it was decided that he would take a back seat for the Six Nations in order to return in time for his region's Magners League run-in and also the Rugby World Cup in September.

"Gethin went to see the specialist late last week and the recommendation was to have an operation on his toe," Blues boss Dai Young said. "The toe has caused him a problem for about 12 months now so he's booked in to have an operation on Wednesday that would mean he's out from 10 to 12 weeks, which will mean he will miss the Six Nations, which is a big blow for Wales and for us.

"The hope was that with reduced training and with rest the toe would heal itself. They've gone down every path because Gethin wanted to avoid the operation if he could but it's at the stage now where the only option was to operate.

"The toe injury has affected his calf and Gethin feels he hasn't played the way he'd like to because he hasn't done the fitness training that he normally does."

The 30-year-old Jenkins, capped five times by the British & Irish Lions, missed the bulk of last season's tournament with a calf injury and was absent for two of Wales' November internationals, against South Africa and Fiji, due to a similar problem.

Wales are already without Jenkins' Blues team-mate, Richie Rees, after the scrum-half was banned for 12 weeks for making contact with the eyes of Northampton hooker Dylan Hartley during a Heineken Cup clash on December 19.