Wales and Perpignan lock Luke Charteris ruled out for season

Wales lock Luke Charteris will miss the Six Nations and is likely to miss out on next year's Lions tour after suffering a knee injury.

The Perpignan forward, 29, ruptured medial knee ligaments during the Top 14 clash against Montpellier.

He is expected to be out for the rest of this season, ending his hopes of making the British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia next summer.

His injury is the latest blow ahead of the Six Nations.

Charteris, who left Newport Gwent Dragons to join Perpignan during the summer, missed most of last season's Six Nations due to a wrist injury.

Interim coach Rob Howley will also be without fly-half Rhys Priestland and prop Aaron Jarvis for Wales' Six Nations defence.

Priestland suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury during Scarlets' Heineken Cup game against Exeter and is unlikely to play again this season.

Ospreys prop Jarvis went off with a knee injury during the early minutes of Wales' defeat against world champions New Zealand in November.

Wales' injured players

  • Craig Mitchell - prop
  • Aaron Jarvis - prop
  • Rhodri Jones - prop
  • Huw Bennett - hooker
  • Ken Owens - hooker
  • Alun Wyn Jones - lock
  • Ian Evans - lock
  • Luke Charteris - lock
  • Dan Lydiate - flanker
  • Jamie Roberts - centre
  • Rhys Priestland - fly-half
  • Leigh Halfpenny - full-back
  • Luke Charteris - lock

Injuries hampered Wales during the recent autumn series and prop Adam Jones and flanker Dan Lydiate were ruled out of games against Argentina, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia.

Jones has recently started his comeback with the Ospreys but regional team-mate Alun Wyn Jones is currently sidelined with shoulder trouble,

Another Ospreys player, second-row Ian Evans has a knee injury and Cardiff Blues backs Jamie Roberts and Leigh Halfpenny are both currently out.

There are also fitness doubts over hooker Ken Owens, flanker Aaron Shingler and props Craig Mitchell and Rhodri Jones.

However lock Bradley Davies returned to action in Cardiff Blues' 6-9 defeat to the Scarlets in the Pro12 on Friday.

Davies suffered "memory loss" after being illegally felled by New Zealand hooker Andrew Hore during the autumn series.

Wing George North also featured for the Scarlets in the match at the Arms Park after missing the defeats against the All Blacks and Wallabies because of a hip injury.

Wales begin their Six Nations title defence against Ireland in Cardiff on 2 February before facing France eight days later.