England vice-captain Emily Scarratt has had surgery on a broken leg - almost a year out from the start of the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup.
The 31-year-old centre sustained the injury just two minutes into Loughborough Lightning's Premier 15s defeat by Harlequins on Sunday.
The RFU said Scarratt's surgery "went well", and she will "now begin her recovery and rehabilitation".
She will miss the Red Roses' four autumn internationals.
The World Cup, postponed from 2021, will take place from 8 October-12 November 2022.
Source: BBC Rugby Union News