Camille Lopez looks set for a substantial spell on the sidelines after he suffered a leg fracture during Clermont's clash with Northampton.
Fly-half Lopez suffered an open fracture of his left tibia in the 23rd minute of the Champions Cup match as he was tackled by Piers Francis, whose trailing leg caught his ankle.
Clermont confirmed that the France international would undergo surgery Saturday night, and while the club did not give a timeframe for his recovery it was suggested that he would not return until the new year, at the earliest.
Play was stopped for an extended period of time while Lopez received treatment on the Stade Marcel Michelin pitch.
Lopez gave a thumbs up gesture to the crowd -- who were singing his name -- as he was stretchered away from the action.
Less than five minutes after play resumed Clermont suffered another blow as Morgan Parra's head collided with the knee of Luther Burrell as he attempted to tackle the centre.
Parra was sent for a head injury assessment (HIA) and later returned to the field despite appearing to have been knocked out by the original impact.