Wales fullback Morgan Stoddart underwent what the Welsh Rugby Union said was "successful" surgery on the broken left leg he suffered in a World Cup warm-up defeat against England last weekend.

But the WRU, in a statement issued Monday, said it was "impossible at this stage" to suggest how long the Llanelli Scarlets back would be out of the game.

Nevertheless, it appears all but inconceivable Stoddart will be fit in time for the World Cup which gets underway in New Zealand next month.

He is currently still in London's Charing Cross Hospital but is expected to return to Wales on Tuesday.

"The good news about Morgan is that he has come through surgery successfully," said Prav Mathema, the WRU's national performance medical manager said in a statement.

"He will now begin his rehabilitation programme back at the Scarlets.

"He travels back from London tomorrow, but it is impossible at this stage to put a time frame on his recovery."

The 26-year-old Stoddart was only called into the starting side at Twickenham on Saturday shortly before kick-off when fly-half Stephen Jones suffered a calf injury in the warm-up.

But early in the second half he was carried off on a stretcher in a match England won 23-19.

However, there was better news for Wales coach Warren Gatland regarding the fitness of three other players ahead of this coming Saturday's return match against England at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Fullback Lee Byrne (knee), playmaker James Hook (shoulder) and prop forward Adam Jones (toe) have all been declared available for selection this weekend.

But Wales are stil waiting on Stephen Jones (calf) and his Llanelli colleague and regular Test captain Matthew Rees (neck), both of whom missed the Twickenham clash.

Mathema added: "Stephen pulled out of the game at the weekend as a precaution with a tight calf, but we need to have a closer look at him in the early part of this week before we make a further judgement.

"Matthew is making normal progress after his injection, but it is also too soon to make a judgement on him."

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