Wales captain Biggar out of autumn Tests as Halfpenny returns

Dan Biggar has been ruled out of Wales' November Tests with a knee injury but Leigh Halfpenny, Ken Owens and Justin Tipuric are back on international duty after more than a year away.

Northampton flyhalf Biggar, who captained Wales in last season's Six Nations and to his country's first Test victory over the Springboks in South Africa three months ago, picked up an injury playing for the English Premiership club earlier this month.

He will miss Autumn Nations Series Tests against New Zealand, Argentina and Georgia.

And he is unavailable for Wales' closing match against Australia on 26 November as that game falls outside World Rugby's Test window, when English Premiership clubs do not release their players for fixtures other than England's.

No captaincy replacement has yet been announced, although Biggar's fellow British and Irish Lion Adam Beard would be a clear favourite. Other options include three more Lions -- Alun Wyn Jones, Owens and Tipuric.

"We hadn't planned on changing the captain, but obviously with Dan's injury that is something we will look at in the coming days," said Pivac, who added that Wales could field more than one skipper over the four games.

"With Dan, we would expect him to be playing by the end of the autumn series, but of course the last game is against Australia, so that rules him out. We haven't selected him on that basis, but we don't expect him to be out too long."

Other players unavailable through injury include fullback Liam Williams and prop Wyn Jones, in addition to back-row forwards Josh Navidi and Taine Basham.

Pivac's 35-man squad features five uncapped players -- Rio Dyer, Joe Hawkins, Sam Costelow, Dane Blacker and Josh MacLeod -- and a recall for fullback Halfpenny, who has not played Test