Catalans Dragons are counting the cost of international selection following injuries to two key players.
Arthur Mourgue (pictured) and Jordan Dezaria were both hurt playing for France against Wales in Albi and will be out of action for the Dragons for the foreseeable future.
Mourgue sustained a sprained ankle which will see him miss the next four to six weeks for Catalans, the same ankle that sidelined him for eight weeks earlier in the season when he ruptured ligaments in a training session.
Dezaria faces a longer spell on the treatment table as the 25-year-old prop forward broke a bone in his foot and needed surgery in a Montpellier hospital to repair the damage.
The early prognosis was that Dezaria could miss the rest of the season and possibly any inclusion for France in the World Cup.
However, since the operation his expected recovery time has been reduced and Catalans are hoping to have him back in action before the Super League play-offs.
Mourgue and Dezaria join Kiwi centre Dean Whare on the injury list at the Dragons, with scrum-half Josh Drinkwater declared fit following his recovery from tendon damage to his foot.
Meanwhile, Catalans captain Ben Garcia came in for strong praise from France coach Laurent Frayssinous after his recent international performance.
Garcia skippered France to victory over Wales and former Dragons boss Frayssinous believes the loose forward is an example to every player in the country.
“Ben is a very special player, and you can see that he is performing consistently well at the very top of the game, which is where he deserves to be,” Frayssinous told League Express.
“It was a real team performance against Wales and we were led by our captain who is ferocious in the middle of the pitch for us but also puts in all the small details and the efforts that nobody sees which make all the difference for us.
“He has taken his game to another level and this is what we need as we continue to improve as a national side.
“He is an example to every member of the squad, in fact every French Rugby League players there is.”
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