"The club formalizes the absence for several months of André Pollard victim of a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligaments," communicated the MHR, which told AFP that his player would be absent for a period of about eight months.
The world champion (26, 48 caps) will also be unavailable for the South African selection, which is due to participate in the Rugby Championship in Australia at the end of the year (7 November - 12 December).
The South African opener had been evacuated on a stretcher during the defeat against Racing 92 (41-17), counting for the second day of the French championship.
He then left the enclosure in an ambulance, injured after contact with the third line Baptiste Chouzenoux (49th) before undergoing an MRI on Monday morning.
Three years of contract and the biggest salary in the world
Recruited at a gold price for a period of three years - according to the British media walesonline, he would be the highest paid player in the world with an annual salary of 1.15 million euros -, and arrived the day after the last Cup of the world in Japan in the fall of 2019, Pollard is the playing master of the team led by Xavier Garbajosa.
To compensate for his absence, the sports manager has several options with Alex Lozowski, loaned for a season by the English club Saracens, the South African Johan Goosen, the young Thomas Darmon or even the international back Anthony Bouthier, who occupied the position at the end of the match against Racing 92. Montpellier, which occupies the last place of the Top 14 after two days, also has the option of recruiting a medical joker during the long absence of Pollard.
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