France skipper Antoine Dupont has undergone surgery on his facial fracture, which may boost his chances of further participating at this year’s World Cup.
A French Rugby Federation statement early on Saturday read: “Following his injury contracted during the France-Namibia match, Antoine Dupont was operated on September 22 around 23:00 at the CHU Purpan in Toulouse.
“In a few days, he will be able to return to the France team in a process of gradual sports recovery and under medical supervision.”
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According to a report on RugbyPass, a plaque has been inserted to strengthen Dupont’s cheekbone, and the plan is for the scrumhalf to rest for seven days before resuming training, hopefully to be available to play in the quarter-finals in three weeks.
Dupont left the pitch on Thursday in the 46th minute of a 96-0 win for Les Bleus nursing his right cheekbone after former Sharks centre Johan Deysel made a badly-timed head-on-head tackle and was sent off.
The loss of the 26-year-old halfback, widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, would be a severe blow to host nation France’s chances of winning the World Cup for the first time.
Photo: Martin Bureau/AFP