Jonny Wilkinson is to be dispatched to a ski resort in Vermont to hasten the rehabilitation of the left kneecap that he dislocated at the end of September. The RFU and Newcastle Falcons are sharing the tab for the trip for the fly half, who may be fit by the end of next month.

However, although Killington boasts more than a foot of fresh powder, Wilkinson's three-week stint will bear little resemblance to a holiday as he submits himself to the boot-camp regime of Bill Knowles, a famous knee specialist who has successfully reassembled broken body parts belonging to Charlie Hodgson, Richard Hill, Austin Healey and Dan Ward-Smith, among many others.

Knowles is both good and hard. Indeed, if the experience of Hodgson, the Sale Sharks fly half, is anything to go by, the fresh snowfall will not please Wilkinson remotely if he, too, is strapped into a pair of snowshoes - the old tennis-racket kind - and instructed to go on long uphill marches.

Wilkinson's recovery received a significant boost a month ago when an arthroscopy confirmed that his first operation had been successful. He is not prepared to guess at a date when he may be ready to play again, although the three weeks in Vermont should have him fit - but not match-fit - before the end of the RBS Six Nations Championship.

This will not be early enough to be in contention for the enlarged, provisional Lions squad to be announced on January 20. Ian McGeechan, the Lions head coach, told The Times: “Jonny wouldn't be in the 65 if he's not playing. That doesn't stop him if he's playing outstandingly well in the two months that lead to the selection of the actual touring squad. Selection is open to players who are injured now but could come back, but I want to take players who are on form and who are fit, because you cannot afford in two games to have players trying to find their form in a Lions jersey.”