Scotland lock Jamie Hodgson has returned to parent club Edinburgh from Bristol Bears after suffering a tricep injury.
The 26-year-old joined the Bears on a short-term loan deal on 2 December and played in four games for the club.
He went off in the 25th minute of the Premiership defeat by Saracens last Saturday and has returned to Scotland as the injury requires surgery.
“He’s been brilliant,” Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam told BBC Radio Bristol. “He’s torn his tricep muscle I think so he’s going to have to have surgery. He’ll be back up to Edinburgh.
“I do want to take my hat off to him. To be able to start a game against Saracens and call our line-out just shows the commitment that he put into learning our game, learning our ways.
“Top guy as we were told by Magnus Bradbury and Bill Mata and others – he lived up to that.”
