England and Leicester Tigers back row Lewis Moody is expected to be unavailable for four months after an operation on his Achilles tendon in Sweden yesterday.

Moody suffered the injury during England’s RBS 6 Nations match against Wales at Twickenham. His rehabilitation and treatment was undertaken by the England and Leicester Tigers medical teams and it was agreed that a further specialist consultation should take place.

Dr Hakan Alfredson, a world expert on tendon injuries, met Moody and representatives of the England and Leicester Tigers medical teams in Sweden yesterday and it was decided that an operation was required and the procedure took place that afternoon.

England head coach Brian Ashton said: “I’m bitterly disappointed for Lewis. I hope the operation has been successful and that he is playing in his usual combative way as soon as possible.”

“We’re very disappointed for Lewis,” said Tigers forwards coach Richard Cockerill. “He’s an important player for us so it’s obviously a blow for the club. We wish him well in his recovery and look forward to seeing him back in a Tigers shirt once he is ready to play again.”