Knee surgery means end of World Cup dream for Wales wing Tom Prydie

By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Updated: 08:01 EST, 22 March 2011

Tom Prydie's hopes of challenging for a place in the Wales World Cup squad appear to be over.

The Ospreys wing will undergo knee reconstruction surgery later this week after being injured during a Magners League game against Glasgow.

He is expected to be sidelined for six to eight months, which would almost certainly rule him out of the World Cup in New Zealand later this year.

Broken wing: Prydie (right) will undergo knee surgery this week

Prydie became the youngest Wales international of all-time last season, making his Test debut at the age of 18 years and 25 days against RBS Six Nations opponents Italy.

Prydie, now 19, then went on to score a try against world champions South Africa in Cardiff before touring New Zealand during the summer and featuring in both appointments with the All Blacks.

But he has now been overtaken in the Wales pecking order behind Shane Williams by wings like Leigh Halfpenny, George North and Morgan Stoddart, suggesting World Cup selection would have been an uphill battle.

Ospreys physiotherapist Chris Towers said: 'The scans show that Tom has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, confirming what we were expecting.

On the charge: George North has overtaken Prydie in the pecking order

'Having sought specialist advice regarding the injury, he will now undergo a surgical reconstruction of the ligament later this week once the knee has fully recovered from the initial trauma.

'He is looking at a lengthy lay-off, anticipated to be somewhere in the region of six to eight months.'

Wales next play on June 4, when they face the Barbarians in Cardiff, followed by August World Cup warm-up games against England (twice) and Argentina.

The deadline for coach Warren Gatland to name his 30-man World Cup squad is August 22.