Ireland and Ulster centre Stuart Olding may be out of action until next year after an MRI scan confirmed the talented 22-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the early stages of last Friday's Pro 12 victory over Cardiff Blues in Belfast.

A medical update sent out by Ulster on Wednesday morning said Olding would undergo surgery on his right knee “and will be out of rugby for up to nine months”.

Olding had already been ruled out of a possible World Cup spot because of the injury, but now looks set to miss the almost half of Ulster’s season also.

Meanwhile, Ulster scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar is expected to be fit for their Pro 12 clash with Connacht in Galway on Saturday April 11th despite suffering a stinger injury to a shoulder against Cardiff that left the South African star with soft tissue bruising.