Wales and Dragons forward Michael Owen faces shoulder surgery

"I'm still holding out a bit of hope that I might be able to get back ahead of schedule," said 25-year-old Owen.

"I desperately want to be available for Wales and I would love to play some part in the autumn internationals.

"I won't give up yet but I've got to be sure the shoulder is right. So the Six Nations is the more realistic goal."

Owen is due to go under the knife on 11 August and he expects to be in a sling for the following four weeks.

The surgery involves "shaving" part of a bone in his shoulder and stitching up a tendon.

Obviously it's a blow and it has come a bit out of the blue Dragons team manager Jim McCreedy

He added: "It's really disappointing because we've tried everything we can not to have the operation.

"But there's no choice now. It's just got to be done."

The long-standing shoulder problem flared up when Owen resumed training and he could now be sidelined for up to three months.

He would miss the first quarter of Newport Gwent Dragon's Magners League campaign and could also hit his European Challenge Cup chances.

That would also see Owen struggling to be match-fit in time for Wales' autumn international campaign.

Wales face Australia, a Pacific Islands XV, Canada and New Zealand during November.

Dragons team manager Jim McCreedy told the South Wales Argus: "Obviously it's a blow and it has come a bit out of the blue.

"The injury is to the top of the shoulder and it seems a bone there needs shaving."

The Dragons are also monitoring a knee injury to Wales lock Luke Charteris that in a worse-case scenario could also require an operation.