NEWPORT Gwent Dragons hooker Lloyd Burns is set to miss the rest of this season after suffering a neck injury.

The 27-year-old Wales front-rower has been struggling with a sharp pain since returning from the World Cup and was a late withdrawal from the squad for last week’s derby clash against the Ospreys.

Tests diagnosed a nerve problem and he has been ordered to avoid contact for at least six weeks, though a return before the end of the season is unlikely.

Dragons head coach Darren Edwards said: “Lloyd will make a full recovery and even though his absence is a really big blow for us as a team, the main priority is his future in the game.

“We have told him that we are not concerned about this season now and we don’t want him to rush his recovery.

“Next season will roll around quickly and the important thing is that we have Lloyd back firing then.

“He plays in an extremely physical way around the park and so we don’t want to rush him back.

“He has had an excellent and very busy last 12 months and this will provide him with time to recharge his batteries and switch off mentally.”

Burns was one of three hookers in Wales’ World Cup squad but was an outsider for the Six Nations. With former captain Matthew Rees back to full fitness and Huw Bennett having starred in New Zealand, the Dragons man was vying with the Ospreys’ Richard Hibbard and Scarlets’ Ken Owens to be third in line.

It was likely that Burns would have been available for regional duty as the Dragons attempt to climb the RaboDirect Pro12 table.

However, now the hooking responsibility rests largely on the shoulders of Steve Jones, himself only just back from injury.

The 34-year-old is backed up by the inexperienced pair of Rhys Buckley and Sam Parry, though loosehead prop Hugh Gustafson is currently being groomed for a move to hooker and Cross Keys number two Gerwyn Price is in impressive form in the Premiership.