Lee Byrne ruled out of Wales' first three autumn internationals

Lee Byrne has been ruled out of Wales' first three autumn internationals after fracturing a hand yesterday. The Ospreys and British Lions full-back will miss the games against Australia, South Africa and Fiji but has an outside chance of returning in time to face New Zealand on 27 November. The Wales physiotherapist, Mark Davies, said: "Lee will be given a specialist opinion this afternoon on whether the injury is treatable with a cast. If that is the case rather than having surgery, he'll have an outside chance of being back for the All Blacks." Byrne suffered the injury in the defeat to Glasgow in the Magners League. He will be replaced in the squad by the Cardiff Blues winger Chris Czekaj. The Scarlets back-row forward Rob McCusker has also withdrawn from the squad to undergo a hernia operation.