France injury concerns grow as star duo join Antoine Dupont on the sidelines
France head coach Fabien Galthie will be scratching his head ahead of the end-of-year Tests
France are set to be without backs Theo Attissogbe and Gabin Villiere for their end-of-year Tests, with the duo suffering respective knee and groin injuries.
Twenty-year-old back Attissogbe has become a key part of Fabien Galthie’s side in recent times, winning eight caps since his debut against Argentina last year, while Villiere has also made a return to the Test side and started in two of their three Tests against the All Blacks this July.
The pair now join a large group of players under an injury cloud ahead of the November Tests, which includes the likes of Uini Atonio and Antoine Dupont.
Les Bleus begin their campaign against the Springboks, before taking on Fiji and the Wallabies.
‘His absence is estimated at three to four months’
Attisogbe has featured twice for club side Pau this season, scoring in their recent defeat against Clermont Auvergne, but it was that game which has scuppered his chances of featuring in the Autumn Nations Series and possibly the Six Nations too after sustaining a knee injury that now requires surgery.
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In a statement, the Top 14 outfit said: “After the match in Clermont-Ferrand, Theo Attissogbe underwent examinations on his knee, which revealed a sprain of the medial collateral ligament. Our wing-back will undergo surgery in the coming days. His absence is estimated at three to four months.
“The entire club wishes Théo a speedy recovery and will support him as best as possible so that he can return to the field quickly and at 100% of his abilities.”
His injury comes just days after it was confirmed that fellow back three ace Villiere will miss the Tests after undergoing groin surgery. He has yet to feature for club side Toulon this season, either.
Their injuries are a major blow for Les Bleus heading into their Tests later this year. However, they will likely have star duo Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey back at their disposal again after the pair were rested for the tour of New Zealand. Elsewhere, Thomas Ramos will likely come straight back in at 15, while Leo Barre and Romain Buros remain options to come in at full-back, too.