Wales captain Dewi Lake is in danger of missing the entire 2025 Six Nations, after the Ospreys confirmed that he will require bicep surgery that will sideline him for "months".

The 25-year-old hooker sustained the injury during training with Ospreys, with new Ospreys head coach Mark Jones revealing after their west Wales derby victory over the Scarlets that Lake will need to go under the knife.

"We were hoping it was the lesser of two extents and perhaps he could rehab it and play," Jones said. "It is going to be surgical now so it means it will be months rather than weeks."

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No timeline for Lake's return has been outlined, but with Wales starting their campaign against France on January 31 and finishing the tournament on March 15 against England, it's looking unlikely he'll feature.

That comes as a blow to Warren Gatland, with Lake having proven himself a natural leader amid Wales' on-field struggles in 2024.

As for Lake, it could mark a third straight season in which he doesn't feature in the Six Nations - having last played in the tournament in 2022.

Should Lake miss out, Gatland still has a wealth of captaincy options in his squad. Lake's World Cup co-captain Jac Morgan has been in fine form for the Ospreys, while Dafydd Jenkins - who skippered Wales in this year's Six Nations while both Morgan and Lake were out injured - has just returned to playing.

As for who would fill Lake's place in the front-row, Scarlets hooker Ryan Elias - who was Lake's deputy in the autumn - is currently sidelined with a neck injury. However, that's not expected to keep him out for too long.

Cardiff's Evan Lloyd was part of Wales' squad in November and he'll likely feature again next year, while Dragons duo Elliot Dee and Brodie Coughlan could be in the mix.