Toulouse Coach Concerned About Jelonch's Knee Injury, Potential Cruciate Ligament Damage

During Toulouse's victory against Bath on Sunday, Anthony Jelonch was replaced very early in the match, and his coach Ugo Mola revealed to the press that the flanker experienced pain in his right knee.

This is undoubtedly what Fabien Galthié, the French national team's coach, had feared. As the players called up to prepare for the Six Nations were expected to gather in Marcoussis next week, injuries were a concern during the final round of the Champions Cup pool stage. And that seems to be what happened to Anthony Jelonch on Sunday during Toulouse's victory against Bath. The flanker was forced to leave the field at the 55th minute, making way for Julien Marchand after being injured in his right knee. After the match, Ugo Mola revealed that his player "felt his knee move" and confirmed that the team had taken precautions with a player who was absent for a long time last year due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. "We preferred not to take risks, but we will wait for the exams," said the Toulouse coach. He also expressed hope that it would not be more than a minor sensation. However, according to L'Equipe, it seems once again that Jelonch has suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which will rule him out of the upcoming Six Nations tournament and the rest of the season with his club.

Anthony Jelonch is not the only Toulouse player to have been injured in the tough match against Bath. Indeed, at the one-hour mark, Dimitri Delibes had to be replaced by Sofiane Guitoune after a questionable clear-out by Chris Cloete. Clearly injured in his left shoulder, the winger could be out for several months according to Ugo Mola. "His shoulder is dislocated, that's for sure. And we have lost him for a long time, three or four months," said the coach at Stade Toulousain in front of the press. "It's a shame because he had reached a level that we had been expecting for some time in recent weeks." In addition to his player's injury, Mola was surprised by the referee's decision not to issue a card against the Bath player, stating that it was "a bit incomprehensible." François Cros and Emmanuel Meafou, who also seemed to have physical difficulties after the match, are expected to be available for the French national team, as they received only minor knocks on Sunday.