Tuesday 24 February 2015 16:32, UK
Italy prop Martin Castrogiovanni is set to miss Saturday's Six Nations match against Scotland after he was reportedly bitten by a dog.
The Italian rugby federation said Castrogiovanni had suffered a "slight domestic incident" and been left out of the provisional squad for the Murrayfield showdown, although it did not give any further details.
However, according to reports in Italy, the Argentina-born 33-year-old had been playing with a dog which turned on him and caused a wound that required 14 stitches.
"Castro is not training so as to avoid any risk of infection, and is still following a course of antibiotics," said team manager Luigi Troiani.
"He will not be available for the trip to Scotland, but we'll be counting on him returning as soon as possible."
The prop would have made his 110th appearance for the Azzurri if he had been selected on Saturday, but he has been replaced in the provisional squad by Lorenzo Cittadini of Wasps.
Castrogiovanni made headlines in December when he was fined £7,000 and given a suspended four-match ban for a rant he delivered after Toulon's defeat to Leicester, criticising his former club and their director of rugby Richard Cockerill.
