Leigh Halfpenny was playing semi-pro club rugby for Cardiff RFC a year ago

Wales and Blues centre Tom Shanklin says he is devastated for team-mate Leigh Halfpenny who was ruled out of the start of the Lions tour.

Winger Halfpenny, 20, will return to Cardiff on Thursday for treatment on a thigh injury that will keep him out for 10-14 days before rejoining the squad.

Shanklin's hopes of making it on the Lions tour to South Africa were ended by a shoulder injury.

"To hear this news, I'm devastated for the guy," Shanklin told BBC Wales.

"It doesn't sound too serious. I just hope now he can get fit.

"But it's hard for a player to spend half the time at home receiving treatment. It's a bit of a nightmare situation."

Halfpenny missed the Blues' 20-12 Magners League win over Munster earlier this month.

Shanklin said that was a precautionary measure and admitted he thought the youngster had recovered fully since.

606: DEBATE Let's just hope Halfpenny makes a full recovery and recaptures form from where he left off funnyExiledScot

"I thought he was fine," added Shanklin.

"Everyone just expected him to be fine for the tour and training but obviously he wasn't quite right."

The Lions will be looking for a replacement not only to cover Halfpenny's position on the wing and, potentially, at full-back, but also for his goal-kicking.

England full-back Delon Armitage missed the chance of a call-up when the Lions opted not to replace Shanklin but his name will return to the frame, while Scotland's Chris Paterson is another option.

But Shanklin said: "There's plenty of people to choose from but none that has had a season that Leigh has."

Lions head coach Ian McGeechan has already lost the services of Shanklin with a shoulder injury and Munster scrum-half Tomas O'Leary, who has a broken ankle, and was replaced by Mike Blair.

McGeechan is also without O'Leary's Munster team-mates Jerry Flannery (elbow) and Alan Quinlan, after the back-row was handed a 12-week suspension.

Quinlan failed in an appeal against that ban, having been found guilty of making contact with the eye area of Leinster captain Leo Cullen in the recent Heineken Cup semi-final match.

He has been replaced by England flanker Tom Croft.

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