Stade Toulousain lose Ramos before Castres derby

Stade Toulousain will be without Thomas Ramos for the derby at Castres after the France international injured his thigh during Thursday’s training session. The setback removes the team’s planned starting fly-half and leaves Toulouse with another major selection problem before the November international window.

Ramos, who is due to join Racing 92, was expected to wear the number 10 shirt and handle the kicking duties. Juan Cruz Mallia, only recently returned from injury, is now likely to take over at fly-half for the trip. Ramos is expected to miss roughly three weeks, a timeline that could still allow him to recover for France’s November matches.

The absence adds to an already extensive list of unavailable Toulouse players: Hawkes, Vergé, Meafou, Jelonch, Banos, Castro-Ferreira, Willis, Delpy, Barassi, Épée, Mauvaka, Kinghorn, Pouzelgues, Mallez and Ainu’u. The club may also rest several internationals, including Rodrigue Neti, Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand, Dorian Aldegheri, Thibaud Flament, Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack, with France’s fixtures in mind. Ramos’s projected return therefore matters beyond the derby, as France will need its regular goal-kicker in November.