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Clermont are on the brink of a fly half injury crisis. Argentine star Patricio Fernández has been ruled out for 8-10 weeks. With the imminent selection of Camille Lopez for the Six Nations the Central French club is facing the prospect of having no available specialist fly half.
Fernández suffered a thigh injury playing against Toulouse on Saturday. The blow was to the same muscle which suffered a knock several weeks earlier. He now requires a sustained period of recovery to be fit again.
Clermont face Toulon this coming Sunday. It is to be followed by Bordeaux and Exeter over the following weekends in the Champions Cup. Clermont will then play away to Bordeaux in the Top 14 on January 29 before club rugby is paused for the February 04 opening to the Six Nations.
Fernández is to be back after the Top 14 resumes on February 18. Clermont will be up against Bayonne on that date. It falls on a weekend in which there will be no Six Nations matches. Scrum half Morgan Parra is likely to be required to play out of position. The alternative being for Clermont to quickly acquire a medical joker.
Should the club maintain its impressive form in the Champions Cup then it will certainly qualify for the Champions Cup play-off’s. These are to begin on March 31. Fernández will be back fit and playing by this time.
