Toulon’s injury woes have worsened with the news that one of the team’s leaders will be unavailable for the rest of the season.
England loose forward Lewis Ludlam suffered a left shoulder injury during Toulon’s 36-20 defeat to Perpignan last weekend, with the damage now confirmed as serious enough to require surgery.
It’s a massive setback for the French club on the eve of an Investec Champions Cup knockout clash against a Stormers side arriving in confident mood.
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Ludlam, who was captaining Toulon for the first time, was injured in the act of scoring a try – a cruel twist in what should have been a milestone moment.
Medical assessments confirmed significant muscle damage, with the shoulder reportedly difficult to reset. He will undergo surgery next week and is expected to miss the remainder of the campaign.
The timing could hardly be worse for Toulon.
The French outfit head into the clash on the back of a six-match winless run, with pressure mounting and confidence fragile. Now, they are without one of their key enforcers in the pack for a do-or-die encounter.
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And the problems don’t end there.
Toulon’s loose forward stocks have been hit hard, with Esteban Abadie (calf), Patrick Tuifua (knee) and Joe Quere-Karaka (knee) all unavailable. Versatile lock Swan Rebbadj has also been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
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