Jonathan Thomas will be sidelined for at least three months

Jonathan Thomas has been ruled out for the season after suffering a recurrence of his long-standing groin problem.

The 26-year-old Wales back-row misses the Ospreys' Heineken Cup quarter-final and their Magners League run-in.

"I saw a specialist and he said the only way to cure it is to have at least three months' rest, so that rules me out until next season really," he said.

"Obviously I'm bitterly disappointed with that, but the time had come where I've had the problem so long."

The groin problem has wrecked Thomas' season, ruling him out of Wales' autumn Test series and most of their Six Nations campaign.

Thomas returned for the lacklustre 20-15 win in Italy and was an unused replacement on the final weekend when Ireland won in Cardiff to claim their first Grand Slam in 61 years.

The injury has also robbed the line-out leader of any realistic hope of gaining selection for the end-of-season Lions tour to South Africa.

"It's been a shocker of a season for myself in terms of injury," Thomas added.

"So I'm quite realistic that I need to get the rest in if I want to come back next season."

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