Ireland wing Jacob Stockdale will miss Ulster's opening Guinness Pro14 games next month due to a hamstring injury.
The 22-year-old, who scored a Six Nations record seven tries in last season’s tournament, faces six to eight weeks on the sidelines.
Ulster tweeted: "Jacob Stockdale suffered a grade 2 hamstring strain in training and is expected to return to play in 6-8 weeks."
Ulster launch their Pro14 campaign against the Scarlets on September 1st.
An eight-week absence would see Stockdale — last season’s Six Nations player of the tournament — available again just before the Heineken Champions Cup begins in October.
Ulster are in the same Champions Cup group as Leicester, Racing 92 and Scarlets.
Ulster star Stockdale has made an outstanding start to his international career, scoring 11 tries in 11 Tests.
He played a pivotal role when Ireland swept to the Six Nations title in Grand Slam fashion five months ago, and he was also part of their successful Australia tour earlier this summer.
Ireland’s opening Test of the 2018-19 season is against Italy in Chicago on November 3, which is followed by Dublin appointments with Argentina, world champions New Zealand and the United States.
