Paris - South African flyhalf Pat Lambie will miss the rest of the season after suffering knee ligament damage in just the third minute of Racing 92's European Champions Cup final defeat by Leinster on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Lambie, capped 56 times by the Springboks, will be ruled out of the French side's remaining games in the Top 14.

"Yes it looks like (the season is over)," Lambie said after his team's 15-12 defeat.

"The diagnosis doesn't look that good. It looks like I won't be playing for a month or for a few months. With ligaments, that's six to nine months.

"It's a long recovery but it's not the end. I will be back - exactly when I'm not sure."

Racing face either Toulouse or Castres in the Top 14 semi-finals on May 27.

The loss of Lambie is another blow to Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus who had spoken to Lambie over the possibility of a return to the Springbok set-up with the three-Test June internationals against England just a few weeks away.

Erasmus is also facing the prospect of having to do without star Lions hooker Malcolm Marx, the continued absence of lock Eben Etzebeth and the general shocking showing of the four South African teams in this year's Super Rugby tournament.