RUGBY:England flanker Lewis Moody will miss this season's entire Six Nations Championship after suffering a broken ankle. The Leicester player, who was injured yesterday, has undergone surgery and faces up to three months on the sidelines.

It is the latest setback in the 30-year-old’s injury-hit career, and means he is now battling to regain full fitness in time to make a selection case for the Lions tour of South Africa later this year.

A decision on Moody’s replacement in the England elite player squad will be made following this weekend’s final round of Heineken Cup and European Challenge Cup pool games.

The squad heads to Portugal for warm weather training on Sunday, with Bath captain Michael Lipman and London Irish prospect Steffon Armitage heading the list of candidates available to England manager Martin Johnson.

Moody’s absence is yet another blow for Johnson, who will be without Wasps flanker Tom Rees at least for the first three Six Nations games, while secondrow Tom Palmer will miss the whole tournament due to shoulder trouble.

Bath prop Matt Stevens was removed from the England squad earlier this week following his confession that he had failed a drugs test. Stevens is currently suspended from all rugby.

Moody, a member of England’s last two World Cup campaigns with more than 50 caps, only returned to action last October after suffering an Achilles injury during the opening game of last season’s Six Nations tournament against Wales. He also had a hip problem.

Moody said: “There is never a good time to get injured, but it is even more frustrating when you are playing well.

“I have felt good since I got back into the (Leicester) team, and I was gutted when I found out the details and a break was confirmed.”