Leigh Halfpenny looks set to miss the start of Walesâ Six Nations campaign.
The Scarlets full-back has not played since suffering concussion during Walesâ victory over Australia on November 10.
Halfpenny has seen a specialist, and Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac reported on Tuesday that the player would not feature for âthree to five weeksâ.
Walesâ opening Six Nations game is against France in Paris in February 1, followed by an appointment with Italy in Rome eight days later.
Halfpenny, 30, went off late in the Australia match after being on the receiving end of a late challenge from Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi, who avoided any punishment.
He was selected to play for the Scarlets against Cardiff Blues 10 days ago, but was a late withdrawal after suffering headaches.
And Pivac has now revealed the outcome of 80-times-capped Halfpennyâs further medical assessment.
âLeigh has seen the specialist and wonât be used for the next three to five weeks,â Pivac said.
âHe will continue training and doing what heâs been doing, and then he will be reassessed. It will be somewhere between three to five weeks, but these things take time. Thatâs the time-frame weâre looking at.
âLeigh wonât play before that time, that will be the earliest. We will pass on the medical information to the Welsh Rugby Union.
âThat will then be (Wales head coach) Warrenâs (Gatland) call as to what he does, because the tournament runs for longer than that.
âHeâs running, heâs training, and from time to time I think heâs been having bouts of (headaches). Heâs as frustrated as anybody is, but his health and well-being comes first.
âLots of players have come back from it (concussion) before. Justin Tipuric and Aaron Shingler have had spells out, and both those players have returned to the top of their game at some point. Thereâs no reason why that wonât happen with Leigh.â