Stade Toulousain and Montpellier face injury hurdles ahead of Champions Cup

French rugby clubs Stade Toulousain and Montpellier are preparing for their Champions Cup openers amid significant squad challenges.

Stade Toulousain will face Exeter this Sunday despite a depleted roster. The club remains without Thomas Ramos due to hamstring issues and Jack Willis is sidelined with a knee injury. Other notable absences include Emmanuel Meafou and Blair Kinghorn. However, the squad may see the return of Peato Mauvaka and Anthony Jelonch, both of whom have returned to collective training. The coaching staff is also monitoring the fitness of Julien Marchand and Alexandre Roumat.

Montpellier faces a difficult away fixture against Bath. The team is dealing with a series of absences in the scrum, including Mohamed Haouas and Luka Japaridze. As a result, Christopher Tolofua may be repositioned to play as a tighthead prop, a role he has previously explored, to stabilize the front row. The club may also rely on younger players to fill the gaps created by these injuries and personnel changes.