Thomas Ramos ruled out for Toulouse at Castres

Stade Toulousain will be without Thomas Ramos for Saturday’s trip to Castres, with the France international facing a possible absence of two to three weeks after injuring his ankle in training. The setback removes an intended option at fly-half and could also affect Toulouse’s next European fixtures and France’s autumn plans.

Ramos was due to start at No. 10 against Castres to give Romain Ntamack a rest. Instead, Toulouse are expected to use Argentina international Juan Cruz Mallia at fly-half, with Paul Graou at scrum-half. The match is part of the fifth Top 14 round and kicks off at 9pm at Stade Pierre-Fabre.

The injury is not considered serious, but the projected recovery period would also rule Ramos out of Toulouse’s home meeting with Bayonne in the following round. He could then miss the club’s Champions Cup opener against Exeter on October 18. Toulouse enter the weekend as Top 14 leaders, while Castres are 10th.

The 31-year-old full-back, who has won 55 caps for France, may also be unavailable when the national team gathers on October 24. That camp precedes four Nations League return-phase matches against Fiji, South Africa, Argentina and an as-yet-undetermined opponent in a London ranking fixture. Ramos is set to join Racing 92 in the future.