By Matt Majendie

STUART ABBOTT FACTFILE Born: 3/6/1978 Position: Centre Club: Wasps England caps: Seven England tries: Two (v Wales & Uruguay) Nickname: Silent assassin Sporting hero: Michael Johnson Hobbies: Surfing; wakeboarding Injured Abbott out of Six Nations

Wasps centre Stuart Abbott has pledged to win back an England place next season despite breaking his leg.

The 26-year-old was ruled out for the season after being tripped by Biarritz flanker Serge Betsen early in their Heineken Cup tie at the weekend.

Abbott, who was set to be picked for England's Six Nations opener against Wales, told BBC Sport: "I hope to get back my England place next season.

"In fact, I'm confident judging by the form I had before getting injured."

Abbott picked up the injury early in the game as defending champions Wasps bowed out of Europe.

He recalled: "I wasn't quite sure it was broken initially. There was a loud sound and I was in a lot of pain, so I knew there was something seriously wrong.

"But the doctor said it might just be badly bruised. Then it turned out it was a clean break which accounted for why there was no displaced bone and therefore he wasn't able to make a diagnosis immediately.

"As I came off the field I tried to put some weight on it, but my body was having none of it. Then I started to fear the worst."

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The injury means Abbott will miss the entire Six Nations, the rest of Wasps' domestic season and the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.

But he admitted the blow was even more damaging as he was only nine games back from a six-month lay-off following shoulder surgery.

"I'm going through the whole process again and, because it's so soon after the last injury, it's sadly so familiar," he said.

"Every single time I start doing well and knocking on the door for England, something bad happens.

"I'm feeling really low and I'm obviously very disappointed. I've just had a terrible run of bad luck."

Betsen, who insists the trip was accidental, has been cited following the incident.

But Abbott, who has seven international caps under his belt, said: "It's even more annoying about the way it happened with Betsen putting his leg out.

"People are talking about Serge and the whole citing process, but citing him isn't going to mend my leg is it?"

While the Wasps flyer, known as the "silent assassin", admitted he was at an "all-time low", he tried to look to the positives.

"It's great news that it's a clean break as I don't need to have an operation and it won't affect my career long term," he said.

"I've just got to keep positive."