Cameron Redpath looks set to miss the start of the new season with his club Bath confirming the Scotland centre had surgery over the summer.
Redpath, son of former Scotland captain Bryan, had an operation to address a "long-standing" shoulder problem, Bath said.
The club, who reached the Premiership final but were beaten by Northampton Saints at Twickenham, confirmed the 24-year-old is not taking part in Bath's pre-season training with the rest of the squad.
Redpath has suffered several serious injuries throughout his career including a bulging disk in his neck, a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and a "significant" ankle injury last season.
However, this one appears to be less concerning for the club.
Bath's head of medical services, Rory Murray, said: "He is currently not in squad training, instead working with Bath Rugby’s conditioning coaches and is progressing well.
"The club will be in a better position in mid-August to know for which game he will return."
Bath, who also have Scotland's Finn Russell and Josh Bayliss among their squad, kick off their new campaign with a pre-season match against Munster later this month.
They then face Cardiff before kicking off the Premiership season with a repeat of last year's final against Northampton.
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