Montpellier lose Trinh-Duc

First time European Challenge Cup quarter-finalists Montpellier have lost one of their key players to injury.

First time European Challenge Cup quarter-finalists Montpellier have lost one of their key players to injury.

Fly-half François Trinh-Duc suffered a fractured rib last weekend in the French championship match with Clermont Auvergne and will be sidelined for three weeks.

The news is a major blow to Montpellier as Trinh-Duc impressed for France in the recent Six Nations and has been a key player as Montpelier progressed from Pool One as runners up behind Sale Sharks.

Montpellier will face Mike Ruddock's Worcester Warriors on Saturday in a bid to progress to the semi-finals.

Worcester and Montpellier have met twice before in this competition, and it is the English side who will be looking for a third consecutive win.

If this season's form is anything to go by, then Montpellier face an uphill struggle. Worcester breezed through Pool Two with a perfect six from six record, scoring 36 tries on the way.

The French side by contrast scored just fourteen times, winning four of their six games.

In addition to the loss of Trinh-Duc, Montpellier will be without Julien Tomas who has a calf strain and Rickus Lubbe, who has a knee injury.