Marconnet World Cup doubt

Marconnet fractured his fibula and tibia in a skiing accident and underwent surgery on Tuesday night but surgeon Phillippe Landreau has predicted the 30-year-old will be out of action for at least five months.

"The facture was a big one, quite complex," Landreau said.

"Fortunately it is not an open fracture. For a simple fracture, it is three months [out of action]. After a fracture like this one, in order to have a proper strengthening of the bone, it is a minimum of three months, but perhaps more.

"But to recover completely it is six months. And six months - that is September 6th, when France play Argentina.

"We have spoken to Sylvain about it and he has made his calculations. That Sylvain will have recovered in six months I have no doubt. But what state will he be in?"