Rome - Italy centre Michele Campagnaro will be out for at least six months after rupturing a cruciate ligament playing for his Premiership club Exeter Chiefs, Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Thursday.

Campagnaro, 24, said he will undergo surgery once the swelling subsides after sustaining the injury to his left knee in a pre-season warm-up game in Cardiff on Saturday.

"They are going to operate as soon as possible, once the swelling goes down," he said.

"As for getting back to competition, that could be six months or more, possibly eight or nine," he said.

One of Italy's brightest talents, Campagnaro will miss the country's autumn internationals and could sit out the 2018 Six Nations tournament.

His absence is more bad news for Italy's coach Conor O'Shea, the former Irish international who already this week lost Benetton Treviso hooker Ornel Gega to a potentially season-ending knee-injury.