Luckless Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell is unsure whether he will play again in the next 12 months after rupturing a tendon in his ankle against the All Blacks in Auckland last weekend.

Making his first Test start in 11 months, Mitchell now faces an extended period on the sideline after fully rupturing the tendon which he previously damaged that kept him out for most of the Waratahs’ Super campaign.

“The healing that needs to be done is pretty significant,” Mitchell told AAP on Tuesday.

“I’m not too sure if I’ll be lacing them up in the next 12 months or so.”

It is another setback for Mitchell, who was sidelined for much of the 2011 Super season by a similar ankle issue.

He recovered in time to make the World Cup, but his participation in the tournament was cut short by a hamstring problem.

The ankle problem then kept him sidelined until the latter stages of the Super Rugby season.