DRAGONS prospect Taine Basham is a leading contender for a Wales call-up if boss Wayne Pivac calls for back row reinforcements after training with the Six Nations squad this week.

Pivac suffered a blow on Monday when Josh Navidi, who can play blindside, openside and number eight, pulled up with a hamstring injury.

The Cardiff Blues forward and is set for a month on the sidelines, ruling him out of the Six Nations fixtures against Italy, Ireland and France.

Head coach Pivac has selected a starting trio of Aaron Wainwright, Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau for tomorrow's Principality Stadium opener against the Azzurri with Ross Moriarty on the bench.

Aaron Shingler is the other specialist back rower in the squad with locks Cory Hill and Seb Davies also able to slot in.

South Wales Argus:

If Pivac and his management team decide to call up an additional flanker after the clash with Italy then Basham will be a leading candidate.

The 20-year-old from Talywain was rewarded for a superb start to the season by being called up for the uncapped November fixture against the Barbarians.

He didn't make the matchday 23 but impressed the management and continued to shine for the Dragons in the festive derbies.

Basham, who has scored eight tries in 15 appearances this season, was one of a number of regional players to be invited to join the Six Nations squad at their Vale Resort base because the Guinness PRO14 is on a break until mid-February.

Other options if Pivac does decide to add cover include Dragons back rower Ollie Griffiths, who came off the bench against the Baa Baas but has been sidelined since the start of December because of a leg niggle, Thomas Young and Shane Lewis-Hughes.

The loss of Navidi, who also limped out of the World Cup quarter-final win against France, is a blow despite Wales' back row riches.

"We've had a scan and there is some damage there," said Pivac. "He'll be out for a few weeks, I couldn't put a number on exactly how many weeks.

"The medical team will be doing the best they can to get him back as quickly as possible."

Navidi is the second hamstring injury suffered by Wales since the squad headed for their Vale Resort headquarters after Cardiff Blues winger Owen Lane suffered a blow that required surgery.

Pivac & Co have changed approach and trained at Principality Stadium on Thursday because of the conditions in Hengoed.

"We're talking about the ground, it's very soft and very heavy under foot," said Pivac. "We've had a lot of rain, so the surface is something that has been discussed.

"There's not a lot we can do about it at this stage, the weather is the weather. It's just about getting a surface where we can do some scrummaging because we haven't completed a scrum (at the training base) all week."