European Cup News: Jonny Wilkinson is in danger of missing the entire Six Nations championship as he awaits further specialist advice today on the damaged knee ligament which has already deprived England of their absentee captain for the opening two games against Wales and France next month.

The increasingly luckless Newcastle outhalf suffered a partial tear of the medial ligament in his left knee against Perpignan on Saturday which, while it does not require surgery, will take at least a month to heal. If, as the Falcons' director of rugby Rob Andrew admitted yesterday might be a possibility, the period of recuperation extends beyond six weeks it could be mid-March before Wilkinson is match-fit again.

Given that England conclude their Six Nations' programme against Scotland on March 19th and Newcastle will not want to rush back their prize asset, the omens do not look especially good. There was certainly little in the way of optimism yesterday as all concerned absorbed the bad news from the far south of France.

The England coach Andy Robinson is still clinging to the faint hope that his skipper may be available for the visit to Dublin to face Ireland on February 27th but, when he phoned Wilkinson over the weekend, he found the World Cup-winning outhalf in downcast mood.

"I have spoken to Jonny and clearly this is bitterly disappointing news for him," said Robinson. "He is a very good healer but it's difficult to anticipate how long his knee will need to heal and when he may be back in an England shirt. The Ireland game would be the earliest we can hope for."

As the management also know we are talking about Wilkinson's left leg, the most celebrated part of the 25-year-old's anatomy. The injury occurred at a second-half ruck during his side's 33-12 defeat at the Stade Aime Giral.