Antoine Dupont will link up with France’s training squad next month despite still recovering from the knee injury that ended his Six Nations in March.
Fabien Galthié confirmed to Sud Ouest that the Toulouse scrum-half and France captain will be part of the November camp at Marcoussis even though he won’t play in any of the autumn Tests.
“He will train with us in the 42 + one,” Galthié said. “You shouldn’t ask him for the impossible. Antoine is finishing his rehabilitation and preparing for his return to play. He will participate in training with restraint.”
The 28-year-old suffered a ruptured cruciate ligament against Ireland in Dublin on March 8 and has spent the past months recovering, including a spell at the Aspetar clinic in Doha. He returned to light rugby work with Toulouse this week, taking part in a foot-tennis warm-up before continuing training alone.
His presence at Marcoussis is as much about leadership as fitness. France face South Africa, Fiji and Australia across November, and while Dupont won’t be involved on the pitch, his influence off it remains significant two years out from the 2027 World Cup.
With the Top 14 paused for the Test window, Toulouse have no objections to their captain joining the national squad environment. Ugo Mola said this week that Dupont is “a little less far” from playing again and could return for Toulouse by late November — possibly against Montauban on the 22nd or Racing 92 a week later.
“Each day, we’re a little less far from his return. Hopefully, we’ll see him back on the pitch in a little under two months,” said Mola.
That would set him up for a symbolic milestone in February, as Dupont’s 60th cap could come against Ireland at the Stade de France, the very fixture in which he was injured twelve months previously.