The six Cardiff Blues players named in the original British & Irish Lions squad
Blues coach Dai Young says British and Irish Lions pair Gethin Jenkins and Martyn Williams are unlikely to be fit for Wales' November Test series.
The duo underwent shoulder operations after the Lions tour but have spoken positively about their rehabilitation and said they were hopeful for Wales.
Young says that he expects them to be back towards the end of November.
"The middle to end of November is maybe more realistic," he said, with Wales' first autumn Test on 7 November.
New Zealand will be the visitors to the Millennium Stadium on that day, with Samoa, Argentina and Australia following them to Cardiff on the next three weekends.
"With these [injuries] you don't know, everyone reacts a bit differently to similar operations," said Young. "It's early days in their rehab."
Wales have no ready-made replacement for open-side flanker Williams, while Jenkins' Wales and Lions first-choice prop partner Adam Jones has already been ruled out for the rest of this year with a shoulder injury picked up on the South Africa tour.
Young had better news about the other four Blues stars selected in the initial 2009 Lions tour party.
Wing Leigh Halfpenny has been selected for Friday's Magners League game in Munster, having already played in pre-season and against Edinburgh last week.
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Number eight Andy Powell is on the bench in Thomond Park, his first appearance of the new season.
"[Powell is] raring to go, we want to give him game time depending on how [the game in Munster is] going," said Young.
"He enhanced his reputation with the Lions, in his words he felt he was a bit quiet in the first game or two but towards the end he was really pushing for the Test spot.
"He's come back a better player. We've allowed him the rest time he fully deserved, and now he's fully fit and eager to get his hands on the ball and get back into playing rugby."
Centre Jamie Roberts, the star player of the Lions tour, will also be back shortly.
"He'll probably be back next week [against Connacht], if not definitely the week after [against the Scarlets]," said Young.
"He's had his scans, he's fine and raring to go.
"He's had his five weeks off and his six weeks pre-season, those are the guidelines we've been told to work to.
"Jamie's already back into more-or-less full training, he's knocking on the door and really eager to get the shirt on and play."
Centre Tom Shanklin, who suffered the devastating blow of missing the Lions tour with a shoulder injury, is targeting the Scarlets game on 26 September, as is Wales wing Tom James.
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