Hurricanes prop Tim Fairbrother has been ruled out for the rest of the 2007 Super 14 campaign.
Fairbrother, whose season ended prematurely last year with a shoulder injury, suffered a relapse against the Queensland Reds in the first round of this year’s competition in Brisbane.
The Wellington prop suffered a dislocation of his left shoulder, which was also operated on last year.
Fairbrother’s Lions team-mate Anthony Perenise has been called up as a replacement.