France’s hopes of reclaiming the Six Nations took another hammer blow following a long-term injury to a key member of the pack.

French flanker Anthony Jelonch will miss the upcoming Six Nations with a knee injury, a source close to the Toulouse star told AFP on Monday.

The 27-year-old suffered the injury in his Top 14 club’s 31-19 win over Bath in the Champions Cup on Sunday.

The back rower had returned to figure for the hosts in the 2023 World Cup after recovering from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in last season’s Six Nations victory over Scotland.

Head coach Fabien Galthie has not yet named a replacement, with Les Bleus gathering on Monday for a pre-tournament training camp.

France face Ireland in their Six Nations opener in Marseille on February 2.

© Agence France-Presse

Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP