Dee surgery makes Dragons hooker Six Nations doubt

Dragons hooker Elliot Dee made his Wales debut in 2017

Dragons and Wales hooker Elliot Dee is to have surgery on a shoulder injury.

The 31-year-old will have an operation on a long-standing issue and is poised to be out for several months making him a doubt for the start of the Six Nations.

Dee lasted just 16 minutes of September's United Rugby Championship (URC) opener against Ulster in Belfast after suffering a blow to his right shoulder.

The front-row forward was not named in Wales' squad for the autumn but linked up with them as part of his rehabilitation.

"He was in with the Welsh medical team in collaboration with our medical team just to give him a chance to get his shoulder right," said Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia.

"He got injured in the first game against Ulster and has since worked really hard and been really determined to get back for us, and also a potential opportunity with Wales.

"But he just fell short so now he's moved to option B [surgery] to hopefully tighten the shoulder up so that he's right to go."

Dee made just six appearances for Dragons last season but did feature in all five of Wales' games in the Six Nations.

He toured Japan in the summer but did not add to his 56 caps.

Dragons host Leinster in the URC on Friday night (19:45 GMT) and are already without hooker Brodie Coghlan, who will hope to win his second Wales cap against South Africa after a debut off the bench versus New Zealand last weekend.

With experienced hooker James Benjamin also out with a groin problem, Oli Burrows is the leading candidate to start just his second professional game against the champions, who have their Ireland contingent back available.