France's Dupont set for Toulouse return after lengthy lay-off / Photo: Lionel BONAVENTURE - AFP/File
France's Dupont set for Toulouse return after lengthy lay-off
France captain Antoine Dupont is set to return for Toulouse this weekend after more than eight months out injured, a source told AFP on Thursday.
Scrum-half Dupont suffered a serious knee injury in March but is expected to be in the French champions' matchday squad for Saturday's home Top 14 game against Racing 92.
Since October, the 29-year-old Olympic gold medallist has been training with Toulouse, record 24-time French champions, and missed France's Autumn Nations Series campaign with the issue.
Without Dupont, Les Bleus lost to South Africa before beating Fiji and Australia, despite the half-back training with the team during the first few days of the Test season.
Earlier this month, former Castres playmaker Dupont signed a new contract with Toulouse keeping him at the six-time Champions Cup winners until 2031.
He made the dramatic announcement on the Stade Ernest-Wallon pitch during half-time of their win over Stade Francais on November 1.
"I miss you a lot," Dupont said.
"I hope the next time we see each other I'll have boots on my feet," he added.
In October 2024, Dupont made another Toulouse return, having won a gold medal in rugby sevens at the Paris Olympics, and scored a hat-trick in nine minutes against Clermont.
Toulouse lead the Top 14 table after 10 rounds before hosting Racing 92 with the start of the Champions Cup next weekend against the Sharks.
"The whole planet tries to defend against him and doesn't succeed," Racing head coach Patrice Collazo told reporters on Wednesday.
"He is a type of player that is the best at what he does," the former France prop added.
李-X.Lee Li--THT-士蔑報
