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France captain Dupont has surgery, will return 'in a few days' / Photo: © AFP
France captain Dupont has surgery, will return 'in a few days'
France captain Antoine Dupont has undergone surgery on a fractured cheekbone and will return to the squad "in a few days", the French Rugby Federation (FFR) said on Saturday.
It is not clear, however, when he will be able to return to the pitch in the World Cup.
Dupont suffered the injury in a clash of heads with Namibia captain Johan Deysel in France's 96-0 victory on Thursday.
The 26-year-old scrum-half, who was world player of the year in 2021, underwent surgery in Toulouse on Friday.
"Following his injury sustained during the France v Namibia match, Antoine Dupont underwent surgery at the Purpan University in Toulouse on September 22," the FFR said.
"He will be able to return to the French team in a few days as part of a gradual sporting recovery under medical supervision," the FFR added.
Dupont is in a race against time to be able to play in France's final pool game against Italy on October 6 with a potential quarter-final against reigning champions South Africa or Ireland, the world's number one-ranked team, looming on the weekend of October 14-15.
Doctor Bernard Dusfour, former president of the medical commission of the National Rugby League (LNR), told AFP on Friday that after undergoing surgery, the minimum period of unavailability for an elite athlete was "four weeks".
France's assistant coach Laurent Labit said: "We are not going to make plans too soon."
Maxime Lucu and Baptiste Couilloud are the other two scrum-halves in the France World Cup squad.
A long absence for Dupont would be a severe blow to France's hopes of winning the World Cup for the first time.
Fly-half Romain Ntamack did not even make the squad because of injury.
D. Fjodorow--BTZ
