Ellis to undergo knee surgery

Leicester have confirmed that Harry Ellis requires an operation on his damaged knee.

England scrum half Harry Ellis has received mixed news on the injury front, after being told that he does require an operation on his knee, but he will not miss the Six-Nations.

Leicester Tigers officials initially feared for the 23-year-old's participation in February's international competition, after Ellis was carried off against the Ospreys with heavy swelling.

However, scans have finally revealed that the damage is not too severe, and a relatively straight-forward operation should return the clever half back to action by the end of January.

"Harry's having a small operation," club coach Pat Howard told www.leicestertigers.com.

"I think he's likely to be out for a couple of weeks and hopefully nothing too bad will show up."

The news will be a welcome relief to England boss Andy Robinson, who eyes the Leicester man as the successor to Matt Dawson's throne.

At 33 years of age, doubts surround the ability of Dawson to perform at the highest level in the 2007 World Cup, centering the focus on Ellis' capabilities to command the number nine jersey.

Those capabilities can only be truly tested in the high-intensity arena of a Six-Nations encounter, and it now appears that Ellis will be available for the opening fixture against Wales on February 4.