Monday 23 January 2017 14:15, UK
Mathieu Bastareaud has been called into the France squad for the Six Nations as Les Bleus suffered further injury setbacks.
The powerful centre replaced the luckless Henry Chavancy who had himself only been called into the squad on Sunday as a replacement for the injured Wesley Fofana.
Fofana ruptured an Achilles tendon in playing for his club Clermont in a Champions Cup game on Saturday.
The French federation did not elaborate on the nature of Racing 92's Chavancy's injury or that of prop Eddy Ben Arous, who has been ruled out and replaced by Xavier Chiocci.
The 28-year-old Bastareaud, who has 39 caps, has not featured for France since the 62-13 defeat by New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup quarter-finals.
But the hulking centre, known for his bullocking runs and powerful hits, has been in good form for Toulon.
Manager Guy Noves, who took over from Philippe Saint-Andre after the World Cup, said this month that Bastareaud was on the right path to a France comeback a year after explaining that the player did not fit into his gameplan.
France play Six Nations champions England at Twickeham on February 4.
