In-form Montpellier man Louis Picamoles will replace injured lock Romain Millo-Chluski in France's squad to face England.
Montpellier man comes in for injured lock for England game
France head coach Marc Lievremont has called up in-form Montpellier number eight Louis Picamoles to replace injured lock Romain Millo-Chluski for their Six Nations clash against England on Sunday.
Picamoles, who was in barnstorming form for his club in the Top 14 against Mont-de-Marsan this weekend, was originally left out of Les Bleus' 23-man squad along with fellow Montpellier loose forward Fulgence Ouedraogo as Lievremont called on the services of Clermont's Julien Bonnaire.
Sebastien Chabal was set to return to the back row after playing lock for France this season, but Millo-Chluski's injury has forced a rethink.
With Picamoles set to join the squad at headquarters in Marcoussis on Monday, Chabal should return to duty in the second row.
"Millo-Chluski suffered a recurrence of an Achilles tendon injury against Perpignan on Friday evening," France team media officer Lionel Rossigneux told reporters on Monday.
"He has been ruled out after medical tests and will be replaced by Louis Picamoles."
With Millo-Chluski ruled out, and the recall of Picamoles, it leaves the French squad with only two locks, Lionel Nallet and Jerome Thion.
Lievremont will name his starting XV for the game on Wednesday.
France (revised):
Forwards: Lionel Faure (Sale), Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Français), Benjamin Kayser (Leicester), Thomas Domingo (Clermont), Sylvain Marconnet (Stade Français), Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Julien Bonnaire (Clermont), Sebastien Chabal (Sale)
Backs: Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Sebastien Tillous-Borde (Castres), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Mathieu Bastareaud (Stade Français), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Maxime Médard (Toulouse), Damien Traille (Biarritz), Julien Malzieu (Clermont)
