Australian prop James Slipper has confirmed he will undergo shoulder surgery after extensive trouble in recent years.
Slipper is on his way to visit a surgeon who will reveal the extent of the damage. As a result of the impending surgery, he will miss much of the 2016 Super Rugby season with the Reds.
The front-rower featured in Michael Chieka's Wallaby side that made it to the recent Rugby World Cup final in England.
"If I'd got the shoulder fixed a few years ago, it probably was only going to be a clean-up but it's been grumbling for a good while so I've got to expect that a full reconstruction and four-to-six months out is a possibility," the 26-year-old told the Courier Mail.
"It didn't affect my grip strength in scrums but it meant I couldn't do all I wanted in the gym and my recovery after games was definitely slower.
"There was no way I was going to give up a World Cup. It was a great experience considering where we had to come from last year but I'm still very, very disappointed we weren't able to win the final."
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