South Africa-born full-back Scott Spedding has been ruled out of France’s Six Nations match against Wales with a knee injury.
The 14-time capped Spedding, 29, has a twisted knee that will see him sidelined for around three weeks, meaning he will miss Clermont’s Top 14 game against Castres as well as the trip to Wales on February 26.
Spedding trained with Les Bleus before their two opening Six Nations victories against Italy (23-21) and Ireland (10-9), but did not appear in the match-day squads.
The full-back could be replaced by Racing 92’s Brice Dulin in the wider squad of 30 or 31 players that coach Guy Noves is set to unveil on Wednesday.
Noves’ squad could also include fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc, who has been out for two months with a leg fracture but is due to resume Top 14 action for Montpellier against Pau this weekend.
Centres Wesley Fofana and Alexandre Dumoulin, South Africa-born flanker Bernard Le Roux and prop Xavier Chiocci are all in line for a recall to Noves’ enlargened squad, which will be whittled down on February 24. – Agence France-Presse
