WORCESTER Warriors have been dealt a huge blow after injured fly-half Jono Lance was ruled out for four months.

Director of rugby Alan Solomons said the Australian ace had sustained “a partial stress fracture to the back” and would sidelined for “16 weeks”.

Lance led Warriors to a European Challenge Cup victory over Stade Francois in Paris only to pick up the injury in the lead up to last week’s home clash with Ospreys.

The 28-year-old then went to see a back specialist this week to discover the extent of the damage.

Speaking after Worcester’s 35-3 win over Sale Sharks, Solomons said: “Jono has got a partial stress fracture to the back and will be out for 16 weeks.

“It is a blow but it is the way it is. There is not much we can do about that.”

On how Lance sustained the blow, Solomons added: “He’s had previous problems there when he was a youngster playing cricket and stuff like that.

“But it will sort itself out, it’s just going to take time.

“We have just got the news so we will sit and analyse it and work out what our situation is.”

Duncan Weir has quickly established himself as Warriors’ first-choice number 10 while Solomons was also pleased to see stand-off Jamie Shillcock star against Sale.

The 21-year-old impressed at full-back but Solomons insisted the academy graduate’s “preferred position” was fly-half.

“It was good for him to get game-time,” Solomons said.

“When he has been on the bench he has been covering 10 and 15 but he got some game-time at 10 which was important.

“(Perry Humphreys) did well in the other two games at full-back so it is good for him to play a bit as well.”