Ospreys have been dealt a big blow with the news that back rower Tom Smith will miss the next eights weeks and is a doubt for their Heineken Cup clash with Biarritz.

The 24-year-old picked up hip and knee injuries in the Welsh region’s 19-17 victory over Connacht (18/1 to win the European Challenge Cup) on February 21.

The former Wales (40/1 to receive the wooden spoon) under-21 captain was forced off early on in the game at the Liberty Stadium and scans on Tuesday showed the full extent of the injuries.

Ospreys (4/1 to win the Magners League grand final), who face Edinburgh (20/1) on Sunday, will now be concerned that Smith will miss their upcoming Heineken Cup quarter-final match with Biarritz on April 10.

“He is improving as well as we could hope for at the moment, but we are looking at a recovery period of around six to eight weeks from the day of the game, which means that we are looking at a mid-April return to playing.”

The good news for the Ospreys ahead of their game with Edinburgh is that Mike Phillips along with Andrew Bishop, Dan Biggar, Tom Prydie, Kristian Phillips and Ian Gough have all been released by Wales to play at Hampden Park this weekend.

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