Wales fullback Liam Williams has been ruled out of Sunday’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa after sustaining an ankle injury, according to a BBC report.

Williams, who has won 62 caps and started all of Wales’s World Cup games except one, is not expected to recover in time for their next match – either the final or third-place play-off.

Leigh Halfpenny is expected to replace the 28-year-old in the line-up against South Africa when Warren Gatland announces the team on Friday.

Wales are already without loose forward Josh Navidi, who injured his hamstring in their 20-19 quarter-final victory over France on Sunday, with winger Owen Lane called up as a replacement.

The Six Nations champions are also keeping a close watch on centre Jonathan Davies, who was ruled out of the quarter-final clash with a recurrence of a knee injury which he had aggravated in the penultimate pool game against Fiji.

South Africa also suffered a big blow ahead of the semi-final when winger Cheslin Kolbe was ruled out of the game with injury.

The winner of Sunday’s semi-final will meet either England or New Zealand in the November 2 World Cup final.