
Catalans Dragons captain Ben Garcia had to be treated in a Perpignan hospital after his right ear became partially detached for the second match running.
The France international first suffered the horror injury two weeks earlier at Magic Weekend, when his right ear was almost torn off in Catalans’ defeat to Warrington Wolves and emergency surgery was required.
After sitting out last week’s defeat to Salford Red Devils, Garcia came back into their team for Saturday’s one-point win over Huddersfield Giants.
Despite wearing protective headgear, his ear was severed again in the second half of the match at Stade Gilbert Brutus.
The ear was successfully stitched back on by surgeons (see picture) after the game.
After the shocking and frightening recurrence, Garcia may now need more time on the sidelines to allow the wound to fully heal.
Meanwhile, two other Dragons forwards also received bad injury news last week.
Julian Bousquet has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured medial ligament in his knee.
And Matt Whitley is battling to play again this year after his own knee injury, a torn medial ligament, was confirmed with a timescale of eight weeks on his recovery.