WALES prop Leon Brown will miss the Dragons’ festive derbies after suffering a broken thumb in the loss to Leinster.

The 22-year-old, who won caps against Scotland and Tonga in November, came off the bench at half-time of the 59-10 hammering at Rodney Parade but lasted just 10 minutes after suffering a fracture on his right hand.

He will undergo surgery with the aim of returning in the New Year – which will rule him out of the European Challenge Cup fixtures at Northampton and Clermont Auvergne plus the derbies at Cardiff Blues and versus the Ospreys in Newport.

Brown will face a race to return against the Scarlets in Llanelli on January 5 and he has joined loosehead/tighthead Brok Harris on the sidelines, with the South African eyeing a mid-January return from a knee injury.

The blow leaves the Dragons short on props with Lloyd Fairbrother their first-choice tighthead, Ryan Bevington currently starting at loosehead and Aaron Jarvis able to play both sides of the scrum.

The Challenge Cup squad also features loosehead Gerard Ellis and youngsters Josh Reynolds and Chris Coleman.

The Dragons will head to Franklin’s Gardens without Jared Rosser after the promising winger suffered a concussion against Leinster. The region’s medical staff have decided to put him through a slower return to action as it is his second blow in a short space of time.