British and Irish Lions fullback Leigh Halfpenny is expected to miss most of the Super Rugby season with a chest injury, his new club Crusaders said Thursday.
Fullback Halfpenny damaged a pectoral muscle during his debut for the Super Rugby champions in a 21-19 defeat to Munster in Ireland on the New Zealand side's pre-season tour.
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Halfpenny needs surgery and will be sidelined for the next three to four months, the Crusaders said.
"Leigh Halfpenny suffered an injury to his pectoral muscle during the pre-season game versus Munster in Cork on Saturday 3 February," the club said in a statement.
"He will require surgery and is expected to be available for selection in 3-4 months.
"We look forward to Leigh playing an important part in the team throughout the season.
Halfpenny, 35, joined the Crusaders late last year after retiring from international rugby.
"It is a real bummer for him," Crusaders' assistant coach Tamati Ellison told reporters via a video call from England.
"He will still help, even during his rehab period around some of the kicking and the game-driving for a few of our younger boys. He has been great there already."
The Crusaders kick-off the defence of their Super Rugby Pacific title at the Chiefs on February 23.
The Christchurch-based side hope Halfpenny will be involved in the later rounds of the season.
"We're expecting him to play, if the rehab goes well," Ellison said.
He made 101 appearances for Wales and won four caps for the British and Irish Lions.
It is another setback to their playmaking stocks, with Fergus Burke expected to miss a significant portion of the season with an Achilles injury.
Burke was set to replace Richie Mo'unga at flyhalf, who has moved on to Japan.
