The 19-year-old Bradford Bulls forward will today undergo a second scan on the shoulder he injured against Huddersfield two weeks ago and is facing the prospect of immediate reconstructive surgery which would rule him out for at least four months.

Burgess, who made a try-scoring debut for Great Britain in the first Test victory over New Zealand last year, is regarded as England's hottest talent since Andy Farrell and was seen as a key member of coach Tony Smith's national squad.

The 2007 Super League young player of the year was a towering figure for England in last month's Test win against France in Toulouse and has been in sparkling form in 2008 until suffering his latest injury.

Burgess, a loose forward who has regularly been asked to play prop by the Bulls, had major surgery on the same shoulder at the end of last season and had a scan on the injury on Monday, the results of which were inconclusive.

"We will wait for definite news until after the second scan, but the likelihood is that we will get him in for surgery as quickly as possible," said Bradford's coach Steve McNamara. "He is a 19-year-old boy who has already had one shoulder operation and we have his own interest, our interest and his international interest to bear in mind."

The news comes at the end of a week which saw another key member of the England team, St Helens stand-off Leon Pryce, charged by police with assault and using violence to gain entry to a house in Bradford.