Six Nations: Italy's Polledri set for shoulder surgery after England comeback

The 27-year-old only made his first appearance for the Azzurri since November 2020 during his side's 31-14 defeat at Twickenham last Saturday.

A long-term lay-off with a knee ligament injury sustained against Scotland kept the forward out for over a year and a half, before his Gloucester form earned a recall this term.

Now, the Italian Rugby Federation has confirmed he will undergo surgery for a shoulder problem that was discovered after he was forced off for a HIA in the closing stages against England.

"Jake Polledri [had a] pain in his right shoulder which led to the discovery of an injury," read a federation statement.

"The examination he underwent revealed the involvement of the rotator cuff tendons. The specialist consultation carried out at his club recommended surgery.

#ENGvITAJake #Polledri ha indossato nuovamente la maglia Azzurra, 820 giorni dopo l'infortunio subito durante Italia v Scozia del 14 novembre 2020Resilienza e tenacia: ci sei mancato, Jake #insieme #rugbypassioneitaliana pic.twitter.com/8UDBBR4cTy

— Italrugby (@Federugby) February 13, 2023

"The prognosis of the injury sustained and the consequent duration of recovery will be evaluated based on the outcome of the scheduled surgery."

Italy have lost both of their opening Six Nations fixtures under coach Kieran Crowley this year, but came close to scoring a major upset in their opener against championship holders France.

Kieran Crowley's side will next face frontrunners Ireland at Rome's Stadio Olimpico next Saturday before another home clash with Wales as they continue to step up preparations ahead of this year's Rugby World Cup.