Blues pillar Cyril Baille, injured in his right calf in mid-August, “should be competitive for Italy” in October, French XV health manager Bruno Boussagol said on Monday. “He is progressing. Today, he is doing speed: that means that potentially he will return to the field from next week. Our objective is to gradually bring him back to the group so that he is competitive. He should be competitive perhaps from Italy,” explained Boussagol.
“He has passed all the milestones that allow us to put him on the field and put him in a situation. We have made enormous progress with him. He is in good spirits and he benefits from all the care and attention of the staff,” added the doctor. Baille (29 years old, 44 caps) was injured during the second preparation match, against Scotland, in Saint-Etienne, mid-August.
The Blues started the World Cup with a victory over the All Blacks (27-13) before facing Uruguay (September 14) and Namibia (September 21) and finishing the group stage against Italy ( October 6).
Regarding the hooker of the XV of France Julien Marchand, victim of a “muscle injury in the left hamstring”, will remain until his recovery with the Blues, who hope to be able to count on him from now on in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, the French Federation (FFR) announced on Monday.
« Progression favorable » pour Marchand
The FFR press release does not contain more precise information on his unavailability but this type of injury generally requires several weeks of treatment. The Stade Toulouse hooker (28 years old, 32 caps) came off in the 12th minute of the match against New Zealand (27-13).
“We decided to keep him with us to assess his progress. We have three weeks of visibility ahead of us to make it competitive. We are moving forward day by day,” indicated the “health manager” of the French XV, Bruno Boussagol. “That doesn’t mean that we’re absolutely going to bring him back (on the pitch, Editor’s note) but we’re doing everything we can to keep him in the group of 33 players, knowing that if we take him out, we won’t be able to get him back afterwards. “, he added.
“His progress has been rather favorable since his accident, he is making small progress on a daily basis. Mentally, he is in good spirits and is hanging on and everyone is working to bring him back as quickly as possible,” he further noted.
In its press release, the FFR specifies that new examinations are planned “at the end of the week” in order to observe the progress of his recovery.
“I planned to give everything on the pitch for this World Cup. I’m going to do it now to get back with the group as quickly as possible. The most important thing remains this first victory. Come on, Les Bleus,” Marchand promised on his Instagram account on Sunday evening.
