OSPREYS centre Ashley Beck could miss the culmination of the region's Heineken Cup campaign and Wales's opening Six Nations fixtures with an ankle injury.
Beck, who limped out of the Ospreys' New Year's Eve win over the Dragons, will undergo a scan today and will certainly miss Friday's home match against Zebre.
He is also a doubt to face Leicester on January 13 and Treviso the following weekend, two crucial Heineken Cup clashes with the Ospreys still clinging on to their slim hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
Wales will then meet later this month ahead of their Six Nations opener against Ireland on February 2.
"He is having a scan today and we won't know much more until the next couple of days. It is a severe ankle sprain, though," said Ospreys backs coach Gruff Rees.
"It won't be a long term injury but the potential is there to rule him out for at least this weekend but also Europe and beyond over the next month."
The Ospreys are also monitoring minor injuries to back-rowers Ryan Jones, Joe Bearman and Justin Tipuric, while lock Ian Evans looks set to miss the Leicester encounter.
Beck, who limped out of the Ospreys' New Year's Eve win over the Dragons, will undergo a scan today and will certainly miss Friday's home match against Zebre.
He is also a doubt to face Leicester on January 13 and Treviso the following weekend, two crucial Heineken Cup clashes with the Ospreys still clinging on to their slim hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
Wales will then meet later this month ahead of their Six Nations opener against Ireland on February 2.
"He is having a scan today and we won't know much more until the next couple of days. It is a severe ankle sprain, though," said Ospreys backs coach Gruff Rees.
"It won't be a long term injury but the potential is there to rule him out for at least this weekend but also Europe and beyond over the next month."
The Ospreys are also monitoring minor injuries to back-rowers Ryan Jones, Joe Bearman and Justin Tipuric, while lock Ian Evans looks set to miss the Leicester encounter.
