Ireland star Stephen Ferris is not yet ready to return from his ankle injury

Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris has suffered a setback in his recovery from an ankle injury, damaging his hopes of making this year's British & Irish Lions tour.

The 27-year-old Ulsterman underwent surgery on the problem in December and is sitting out the entirety of the Six Nations - but a recent check-up revealed the problem has not healed as quickly as expected.

A statement on the Ulster website said: "It was discovered that, although Stephen has made excellent progress in his recovery, some minor issues remain.

"As a result, the specialist medical-staff treating Stephen are considering several options to ensure that he makes a full and complete return to play. A decision on a course of action will be made in the coming weeks."

The highly-talented Ferris has been blighted by injury in the past - his 2009 was cut short by a knee injury and he then missed the 2011 Six Nations campaign.

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