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Edinburgh centre Ben Cairns faces at least three months sidelined after undergoing knee surgery.

The 25-year-old picked up the injury during his side's pre-season friendly against Sale Sharks.

Cairns has been a mainstay of the Edinburgh side since signing in 2004, making more than 100 appearances.

The Leeds-born player has also made seven starts for the Scottish national side and signed a three-year contract extension with Edinburgh in 2010.

An Edinburgh spokesman said: "The time taken has allowed a full assessment of Ben's knee, with the outcome of the investigative keyhole surgery a positive one, in that it revealed minimal damage to Ben's anterior cruciate ligament, which would have required a more invasive operation and a longer period out of action.

"During this time, Ben will be reassessed regularly at the Spire Murrayfield Hospital and receive continuous rehabilitative support from the expert medical team at Edinburgh Rugby."