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Gethin Jenkins went under the knife to fix a minor knee problem on Friday and will miss Wales’ summer tour.

Jenkins, Wales’ record cap holder with 129, has had an injury-plagued season and that curse has struck again.

His latest operation means he will be the headline absentee when Robin McBryde names his squad to face Tonga and Samoa on Tuesday.

Jenkins’ absence is a significant blow for interim head coach McBryde given his huge experience.

It is understood his injury is not too serious, but severe enough to rule him out for both Wales’ summer tour and Cardiff Blues’ play-off clash with Stade Francais as Danny Wilson’s men bid to reach next season’s Champions Cup.

Now 36, triple Grand Slam winner Jenkins is approaching the twilight of his career.

(Image: Huw Evans Picture Agency)

He produced a series of impressive displays for Wales on last summer’s tour of New Zealand, and followed that by captaining his country in three of their four November Tests.

A pectoral injury saw the loosehead miss the entire Six Nations, but he returned to action with the Blues last month. Injury has since struck again, robbing McBryde of his most experienced player.

Jenkins missed out on what would have been his fourth tour with the British & Irish Lions and had been considered a leading candidate to captain Wales next month.

It leaves McBryde with a dilemma of who to pick as skipper, with no obvious candidates.

Alun Wyn Jones and Sam Warburton are among 12 Welshmen who will take on the All Blacks with the Lions, while Bradley Davies – who led the tour of Japan in 2013 – has ruled himself out of facing the Pacific Islanders due to the imminent birth of his second child.

The honour is now likely to go to Scarlets centre Scott Williams, the midfielder set to skipper a touring party of no more than 30 players.

While Jenkins’ injury robs Wales of the physicality and experience they will no doubt need against Tonga and Samoa, it is also a huge blow for Wilson’s Blues.

The veteran loosehead has a year left on his contract at Cardiff Arms Park, but won’t be seen now until next season.

It leaves the Blues at their bare bones for options in the No 1 jersey in their hopes to make the 2017-18 Champions Cup.