France's Antoine Dupont ruled out of Scotland clash due to injury

France captain Antoine Dupont has been ruled out of the upcoming Six Nations match against Scotland after sustaining a serious knee injury.

The World Player of the Year for men’s sevens suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament during France’s 42-27 victory over Ireland at the Aviva Stadium. His absence is a major blow for the French squad as they prepare for their next fixture.

Dupont sustained the injury in the 28th minute of the match against Ireland when Tadhg Beirne landed on his leg as the French scrum-half attempted to contest possession. The severity of the injury was confirmed shortly after, ruling him out for an extended period.

On social media, Dupont expressed his disappointment over the setback but remained optimistic about his recovery.

"The heart hurts even more than the knee when you have to leave your friends before the last step. I am proud of what we accomplished yesterday and with all my strength with you, you will do it. Rupture of the cruciate ligaments.

"This is the beginning of a new challenge, I'll see you in a few months on the field." His message conveyed both his frustration and determination to return to action as soon as possible.

France head coach Fabien Galthie has voiced his frustration over the incident and is demanding answers regarding the circumstances of Dupont’s injury.

"We named the players [who made contact with Dupont], Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Porter, who should appear before the disciplinary commission," Galthie stated, highlighting his concerns about player safety.

Galthie insisted that the situation warranted further investigation, emphasizing the importance of protecting players from such incidents.

"We want explanations, so we've named two players. We have to protect our players. There are means, there are rules. There is some kind of anger."

France hold the top place in the Six Nations table with three wins from four matches and are closely followed by England and Ireland at second and third places respectively.