Tadhg Beirne will undergo an ankle operation today and will be out of action for up to 12 weeks.
The development is bad news for Ireland, as the versatile second row and back row will miss the remainder of the Six Nations, and also for his province Munster.
The time frame for Beirne's return is early May and that means the Kildare man is out of Munster's Champions Cup last 16 clash away to the Cell C Sharks, and out of a potential quarter-final and semi-final appearance if the province goes that far in the tournament.