Attwood Facing 10-12 Weeks Out After Neck Surgery

Bath Rugby forward Dave Attwood is set to face at least 10 to 12 weeks on the side-lines, following surgery on a neck injury required to repair a bulging disk.

The England international had been struggling with a recurring neck injury through various games this campaign, but ultimately decided it was the best course of action to address the issue with surgery, in hope of a long term fix.

Head coach Mike Ford confirmed the fears of Bath fans, stating: "Dave will be out for a while - he's trapped a nerve and has got a buldging disk in his back."

The news means Attwood will play no part in England's Six Nations campaign, also confirmed by Ford.

The Bath coach said: ""His Six Nations chances are gone. It will be anywhere between 10 and 12 weeks until he plays again."

The lengthy absence is likely to see Attwood out of the Blue, Black and White colours until March or the beginning of April, depending on the success of the recuperation period. 

Taking to social media platform Twitter following his surgery, Attwood  thanked fans for their well wishes and made light of the situation by revealing his surprise remedy for a painful neck... sticky toffee pudding!

Thanks for the kind messages. Hopefully back before too long! Now for some sticky toffee pudding. Apparently that's good for necks?

— Dave Attwood (@Dmjattwood) January 5, 2016

The news is a blow to the Somerset club, who have lost five games of the previous eight.

Bath will be without Attwood when they travel to France this weekend, to take on Toulon in the rescheduled European Champions Cup fixture.

The clash will be televised live on BT Sport, with coverage beginning from 3pm.