Wilkinson 'could be out for six weeks'

Injured England star Jonny Wilkinson could face World Cup heartache with a possible six week absence caused by his latest injury, a leading orthopaedic surgeon said on Wednesday.

Wilkinson, who has already been ruled out of Saturday's Pool A opener against the United States, is battling to recover from a lateral ligament sprain to his right ankle that he suffered during training in Versailles on Tuesday.

England will issue a fitness update next Tuesday, but Simon Moyes, of The Wellington Hospital in London, is not optimistic about a rapid recovery, saying: "If we are praying, I can imagine he would be fit within three weeks, but it is more likely to be six weeks with an injury like this."

He added: "Jonny appears to be suffering from a right ankle lateral ligament sprain, and the MRI scan has excluded any other injury.

"He is likely to be undergoing Rice - Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation - and intensive physiotherapy on the full spectrum of these lateral ligaments."

If Moyes' fears are confirmed, then Wilkinson would effectively miss the whole tournament, which concludes in Paris on October 20.

A succession of injury setbacks mean Wilkinson has started just seven of England's 40 Test matches since the 2003 World Cup final.

"Ninety per cent of patients make a full recovery, but there is always a risk of recurrent instability in the ankle," added Moyes.