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Paris - France's hopes of a successful Six Nations tournament suffered a major blow on Sunday as it was announced by his Top 14 club Toulouse that captain Thierry Dusautoir had been ruled out of the tournament.
The 32-year-old flanker - capped 65 times and world player of the year in 2011 - will be out for four months after he tore a tendon in his right bicep, Toulouse head coach Guy Noves told AFP.
France finished bottom of the Six Nations last year and start their campaign this term at home to England in a fortnight.
The 30-man squad are due to meet up for a training camp at Canet-en-Roussillon later on Sunday.
Dusautoir, who Noves said will undergo an operation on Tuesday or Wednesday, suffered the injury in four-time European Cup champions Toulouse's final pool match of this season's competition on Saturday, the 16-6 away win over Italian side Zebre.
"We feared it was a serious injury," said Noves.
"We hoped that the scans wouldn't confirm the original diagnosis.
"His injury adds to a growing list of serious injuries to key players.
"That makes it five to six players of the highest quality that we have lost," added Noves, referring to injuries to former All Black fly-half Luke McAlister, French international centre Florian and utility scrummager Gregory Lamboley.
