ITALY’S MATTIA BELLINI has been ruled out for the duration of the 2019 Six Nations Championship.
The 24-year-old wing is set to be sidelined for four months after undergoing surgery on the shoulder he dislocated in his country’s November Test against Australia.
Bellini had scored Italy’s only try against the Wallabies, before being forced off later in the game as Conor O’Shea’s side suffered a 26-7 defeat in Padua.
The Zebre player also suffered ligament damage and a bone fracture to the shoulder, which will keep him out of a Six Nations campaign that begins for the Italians with a trip to Murrayfield to play Scotland on 2 February.
Click Here: Alisson Becker jersey sale
Bellini played every minute for Italy in the 2018 Six Nations, chipping in with tries in the games against England and Wales.