GAVIN Henson looks set to miss Wales' two-Test summer tour of South Africa after the Ospreys ruled him out action for the final three Magners League fixtures of the season.

The 26-year-old, a British and Irish Lion in 2005, was seen by an ankle specialist after failing to respond to treatment for an ankle ligament injury he picked up during the Ospreys' shock Heineken Cup quarter final at Saracens earlier this month.

The centre, who played a big part in Wales' Grand Slam triumph this season, will undergo keyhole surgery on Wednesday.

This will allow the full extent of the damage to be assessed and Henson, who has won 28 Welsh caps, is facing a minimum lay-off of four to six weeks.

Ospreys physio Chris Towers said: "The best case scenario will see Gavin sidelined for a further four to six weeks, with no further action needing to be taken. However, if the examination reveals clinical instability then the plan will be to repair the ligament at that time, which would be likely to sideline Gavin for approximately 12 weeks.

"It is impossible to say what the outcome will be until the specialist has had a chance to assess the ankle fully, so it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this moment."

Ospreys head coach Lyn Jones said: "The news comes as a blow for the Ospreys as we look to finish the season in winning style, and personally for Gavin, who has been in such good form this year."