Wilkinson remains defiant

Wilkinson: Insists he will be back

I'll just nail one thing, though: the idea that this might be the end of my playing career. Forget it.

Jonny Wilkinson
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England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has insisted that his career is not over despite admitting he is likely to miss the RBS Six Nations.

The 29-year-old has undergone surgery after suffering a dislocation of the knee in Newcastle's defeat to Gloucester - with the injury the latest blow for Wilkinson.

However, although Wilkinson believes that the five-month timescale he can expect on the sidelines will hamper his hopes of making the British and Irish Lions tour in the summer, he is defiant that he will return.

Wilkinson wrote in his column in The Times: "I saw my knee specialist

and he confirmed that the recovery time for my left knee is likely to be five months.

"It is no secret that this does not augur well for my hopes for England, or the Lions later in the summer, but, as is my way, I will not rule anything out.

"If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen, but it will have been worth striving for.

"I'll just nail one thing, though: the idea that this might be the end of my playing career. Forget it.

"It's not a consideration. When I did the knee, against Gloucester last week, I was actually quite positive and thinking it would be just one month. Obviously it didn't quite pan out that way, but I have no doubt that I'll be back."