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France winger Vincent Clerc to miss Italy match

PARIS (AP) — France will be without prolific winger Vincent Clerc for its opening Six Nations match against Italy after he injured his right thigh playing for Toulouse on Friday night.

France plays in Italy on Feb. 3 and hosts Wales the following weekend. France coach Philippe Saint-Andre expects Clerc to be out for up to 10 days, meaning he has a chance of returning to face Wales. Clerc is only four tries short of equaling Serge Blanco's national record of 38.

Saint-Andre called up the uncapped Hugo Bonneval to replace Clerc in his Six Nations squad. Earlier this week, Saint-Andre complained about the team's lack of preparation time for the Six Nations, unhappy that international players are competing in club matches this weekend so close to the tournament.

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