Broken cheekbone sidelines Spencer

Blues playmaker Carlos Spencer may ask for an early release from his contract. Picture / Fotopress

Blues five-eighths Carlos Spencer's troubled season continued yesterday when it was confirmed he had broken his cheekbone.

Spencer will have surgery tomorrow to plate and repair the damage caused in a collision with team-mate Daniel Braid at a Blues training session.

The injury is expected to remove Spencer from selection for about three weeks, with the most optimistic prognosis that he could return for the round 11 game against the Hurricanes.

Spencer suffered a similar facial injury last year when his jaw was broken playing against the Chiefs, but he recovered to start the All Blacks test programme and the Tri-Nations series.

Spencer was hoping to reach a rare Super 12 and NPC double this season, playing 100 games for the Blues and for Auckland.

However, his inability to satisfy the Blues coaching staff and his latest injury has put both those marks in jeopardy.

Spencer has played 96 games in the Super 12 and 94 provincial matches.

Tasesa Lavea has been preferred as the starting five-eighths for the Blues' last two matches and again tomorrow at Eden Park against the Sharks.

Utility Luke McAlister will be used as the back-up first five-eighths when the squad leave for their trip to South Africa on Sunday.

Soon after Spencer was chopped for the Brumbies match, he received several tempting proposals to take his skills to Europe, It is understood he has become disenchanted with his Super 12 fortunes and may ask for an early release from Auckland.