DRAGONS wing Ashton Hewitt faces a race against time to play this season after undergoing surgery on the right shoulder that he injured with Wales last summer.

The 23-year-old from Newport was injured in preparations for the June tour to face South Africa and Argentina, denying him the chance to win a first cap.

Hewitt missed the start of the season and was thought to be closing in on a return to the fray.

However, a specialist has said that the speedster needs to go under the knife again with the aim of returning to full training in the spring.

That raises the possibility of Hewitt having played his last game for the Dragons as he is out of contract in the summer and is sure to be on the radar of regional rivals and clubs across the border.