New blow for Ian McGeechan after Tom Shanklin is ruled out

Ian McGeechan, the Lions head coach, must find a second replacement for the tour to South Africa after Wales centre Tom Shanklin was last night ruled out with a serious shoulder injury.

The Cardiff Blues centre will be out for four months after dislocating his shoulder in the win over Newport Gwent Dragons and will require surgery. Shanklin was the leading inside-centre available to McGeechan and it means England's Riki Flutey now assumes that role with the Lions needing to reinforce their mid-field options.

They could call up Gordon D'Arcy of Ireland or take a gamble that Gavin Henson, the controversial Wales centre will recover sufficiently from an ankle injury in time for the tour, which leaves on 24 May.

The Lions have already lost Munster scrum-half Tomas O'Leary with a broken ankle.

Munster flanker Alan Quinlan could also miss out if he is found guilty of gouging when he faces an ERC disciplinary panel in Dublin on 13 May.

England's Tom Croft is the favourite to replace Quinlan if he receives a lengthy suspension, with Ryan Jones, the Wales captain, the other leading candidate.