Clermont - France international No. 8 Elvis Vermeulen will miss the next four months due to a herniated disc, his club Clermont said on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old, who has 10 caps for France, will undergo an operation on Thursday following tests conducted on Monday revealed the damage.
This is not the first time Vermeulen has suffered from this ailment having missed the 2007 Rugby World Cup in his homeland for the same reason.