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Leicester Tigers centre Gareth Owen looks set to miss the rest of the Aviva Premiership season.

The Welshman damaged a shoulder in the opening minutes of last Sunday’s win over Saracens at Allianz Park and will undergo surgery next week.

Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor said Owen, signed from Scarlets during the summer, was due to see a specialist on Wednesday. “Gareth dislocated the shoulder,” O’Connor said. “The medics got it back in at the weekend but he will have surgery on it early next week and that will probably put him out for the rest of the season, which is unfortunate for him.”

Owen had looked a quality performer in midfield playing at inside centre alongside Manu Tuilagi, while Matt Toomua shifted to fly-half in the two most recent games. Mathew Tait, who played his 100 Tigers match in the Premiership last weekend when he replaced Owen, looks most likely to continue in that position having put in a tremendous shift in north London.

Flanker Mike Williams should be fit to face Worcester Warriors, his former club, this weekend after recovering from a neck injury sustained when gathering a kick-off at Saracens.

“Mike had a sore neck after he landed awkwardly from that kick off,” O’Connor said. “His neck was quite stiff post game but he has recovered nicely and is training again so there shouldn’t be an issue about him playing at the weekend.”

Williams was replaced by Scotland international Luke Hamilton in the Leicester back-row, which proved too much of a handful for Sarries last weekend, openside Brendon O’Connor and No.8 Sione Kalamafoni also producing excellent performances.

“I thought Brendon was exceptional for us at the back end of last season when I arrived,” the Tigers boss said. “We missed him through that period around Europe in December and January. He was a big miss for us.

“I think he is back to his best. I was disappointed to see Mikey come off the field on Sunday because that was probably as good a performance as he has had for a while. Sione keeps doing what he does and the front five are working really hard. There are some really pleasing bits. Then you slot in Ellis Genge and Dan Cole and you are starting to get to somewhere where you want to be.

“That is going to be important for the massive games through the back end of the season.”

Sunday’s visit to Sixways is also crucial as Tigers look to maintain the momentum that has been built with wins over Harlequins and Saracens.

“Worcester beat us here at home,” O’Connor continued. “We have to make sure we are significantly better than we were that night and we deliver on the things that we have delivered in the last couple of weeks. We have to make those minor adjustments to make sure we are a bit more accurate.

“But if we get the attitude right and turn up like we did last weekend, I think we should be able to put out a quality performance.”