Warren Gatland will name his Wales squad in just three weeks time and is sweating over a handful of players who face a race against time to prove their fitness for the opener in Paris.

Wales couldn't have asked for a tougher start to the championship than France, the only side who beat the All Blacks in November. Many outside the squad will have already thrown the clash at the Stade de France into the damaged limitation basket as far as Wales are concerned.

But if Wales are to contain a French side which is likely to have Antoine Dupont in tow they are going to need close to a fully fit squad. With that in mind Gatland will not have welcomed the news that his Autumn Nations Series skipper Dewi Lake has had to undergo surgery on his bicep.

READ MORE: Welsh rugby's winners and losers as unsung signing shines and Wales leader steps up at right time

READ MORE: The top 20 highest-paid rugby players on the planet

As a result the chances of Lake figuring in Paris is slim because such an injury could potentially rule the 25-year-old out of the entire Six Nations. Clearly, this would be a savage blow for Wales because Lake is one of the only forwards capable of winning the collisions and achieving serious post contact metres off tight carries against a heavyweight pack like France.

Also, Lake is an inspirational leader who his teammates feed off. What makes matters worse is that Ryan Elias is currently sidelined with injury.

The 29-year-old is often heavily criticised for his throwing into the lineout but his critics never pay much attention to his work in the tight and his carrying game. To lose both Lake and Elias in one fell swoop for the Paris opener would be savage for Wales.

But there is some good news on the hooking front with Elliot Dee returning from an ankle injury for the Dragons against Cardiff on Boxing Day. Dee's darts are the most accurate of any hooker in Wales while he brings huge energy around the park.

Expect a recall for the 30-year-old while Gatland is likely to stick with Evan Lloyd. There could be a first cap from in-form Dragons hooker Brodie Coghlan but if Lake and Elias are out the safer bet might be Sam Parry who was outstanding for the Ospreys in their victory over the Scarlets.

But the chances of that are extremely slim given he walked out of the Wales squad ahead of the clash with South Africa in June. There is no position in Welsh rugby where the cupboard is as bare as it is at tighthead prop and Gatland's headache got a lot more intense after Archie Griffin got been ruled out for "a significant time" after injuring his shoulder.

Gatland is likely to keep faith with Keiron Assiratti and the experienced Henry Thomas. Both are good club players but whether they can contain a destructive France scrum remains to be seen.

But there is still room for a third tighthead in the squad. Dillon Lewis would be the safest option when one considers his 57 caps worth of experience, but it wouldn't be a great surprise if Gatland went for a wildcard option like Ben Warren who trained with the squad over the summer or Wales U20s tighthead Sam Scott who is highly regarded.

Another player who won't be available for the trip to Paris is Adam Beard who is out with a knee injury. While Beard is a valued member of the team this isn't as much of an issue given Dafydd Jenkins will be back in situ having missed the Autumn Nations Series.

But Wales will likely need to find a replacement for Mason Grady who injured his ankle during the autumn and is unlikely to be fit for the start of the Six Nations. Grady caused havoc in the early stages against Fiji with his pace and explosive power and it is not exaggerating to say Wales may well have won if he had not left the fray early.

Josh Adams is highly likely to come straight back into the starting XV having been out with injury which should improve Wales' potency out wide. Do not be surprised if Gatland selects giant Exeter wing or centre Zack Wimbush in the squad although he has yet to declare for Wales or England.

The reality is Wales does not currently have the required strength in depth required to regularly compete at Test level and Gatland's future could depend on the fitness of a handful of key players.