Lydiate won two caps in November and was with Wales all Six Nations

Dan Lydiate will miss the rest of the season and Wales' summer Tests as the Dragons flanker has been ruled out after undergoing ankle surgery.

The 22-year-old blindside was forced off after 32 minutes in the Dragons' 28-20 win over Ospreys last month.

And injury-plagued Lydiate has now had an operation to fix the tendons and will be out for up to four months.

"It's a big blow for Dan as he was on top of his game," said Dragons coach Paul Turner.

Lydiate will miss the Newport Gwent Dragons league run-in - against Edinburgh, Cardiff Blues and Ospreys - and is out of Wales' 5 June international against South Africa in Cardiff and their two-Test tour of New Zealand.

Lydiate suffered 12 months out after breaking his neck in a Heineken Cup game in Perpignan in November 2007 but returned to impress Wales coach Warren Gatland.

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He won a Wales call for their end of season tour to North America last year but was forced to withdraw due to the Dragons' Heineken Cup play off against Calvisano in Italy.

But the Dragons academy product won his first Wales cap as a replacement blind-side flanker in the 33-16 win over Argentina in November before making his first international start in Wales' 33-12 defeat to Australia.

Lydiate was in Gatland's squad throughout this season's Six Nations - but he did not make it onto the field.

His loss will be a severe blow to the Dragons as they look to secure Heineken Cup qualification for next season and chase a top-four Magners League play-off spot.

"It seemed a pretty innocuous injury at the time but I suppose it's an occupational hazard," Dragons rugby manager Robert Beale told the South Wales Argus newspaper.

"We have certainly missed him, but it's close to the end of the season so he will have the summer to recover and he has also got time on his side with Wales."

The Dragons are already without injured back-rowers Joe Bearman, Lewis Evans and Jamie Harris, as well as lock Adam Jones.

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