Wallace, who was a late call-up to the Lions tour last summer, is to have an operation on a shoulder injury.

A scan earlier this week revealed the extent of an on-going problem.

The news will be a major blow for both Munster and Ireland.

Wallace will be ruled out of Munster's Heineken Cup campaign and the Celtic League competition.

He will also miss Ireland's World Cup qualifiers against Russia and Georgia, plus the three autumn internationals against Australia, Fiji and Romania.

Wallace was surprisingly excluded from the Irish squad that toured New Zealand in June after losing form, but eventually joined up with them as a replacement.

''The time scale for recovery could be up to six months,'' said Wallace.

''I damaged the shoulder against Wales last season, but I honestly thought it wasn't that serious.

Replacement

''When you pick up injuries you will always try to make it back as quickly as possible.

''I suppose, in a way, I might not have done myself justice in certain games afterwards.

''You try to get away with things. You try to play your way through injuries.

''It was disappointing when I learned of the extent of the injury but I had to make a choice.

''Right now I am looking at 2003 in the hope that it will be a good year for me.''

Wallace will go under the knife at the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin on Friday week.

It means some scurrying around for new Munster coach Alan Gaffney.

He took over from Declan Kidney at the end of last season and is busy attempting to find a replacement back row forward to include in his Heineken Cup panel.

But Gaffney has strengthened his front row with the addition of experienced Queensland Reds prop Simon Kerr.

The 32-year-old, who was with New South Wales in 1997 when Gaffney was their backs coach, can play tight or loose head and will join in August.