Antoine Dupont underwent surgery, he comes out of silence and speaks for the first time

Antoine Dupont came out of silence a few hours after his operation. While his injury raised fears of a forfeit for the rest of the World Cup, the captain of the Blues was optimistic.

Since Thursday September 21, rugby fans have been waiting for news concerning the state of health of Antoine Dupont. The captain of the Blues, considered one of the best players in the world, suffered a facial injury during the match against Namibia. Very quickly, concerns about his ability to return before the end of the World Cup were felt. The scrum half left the field with his head down, and the diagnosis, which came a few hours later, was worrying: maxillo-zygomatic fracture. An injury which in principle requires long weeks of healing before returning to competition. But Antoine Dupont was operated on the day after the shock, and he seems optimistic about his chances of returning.

Anthony Dupont “touched but not sunk”

He made it clear in a tweet published on Saturday morning that the competition was not over for him. “Touched but not sunk. The show must go on. Looking forward to seeing the group again“, he simply wrote, thanking the many fans who sent him messages of support. A few hours earlier, the French Rugby Federation confirmed that after this operation, Antoine Dupont “will be able to return to the French team in a gradual recovery process and under medical supervision“. It remains to be seen when he might be allowed to play again if all goes well.

Antoine Dupont back in the quarter-final?

It is certain that the captain of the Blues will not be able to participate in the last group match, on October 6 against Italy. In theory, this type of injury requires around four weeks of convalescence, which would allow Antoine Dupont to be lined up from a possible semi-final. But according to information from Parisian, the staff of the XV of France is even more optimistic. He would consider a return to training within ten days, and availability after three weeks in the best case, i.e. for a quarter-final, on October 14 or 15. A match which will not be a formality since it should, in all likelihood, pit France against one of the two other favorites: Ireland or South Africa. Always according to the Parisian, Antoine Dupont underwent osteosynthesis, with two metal plates placed on his face.

Article written in collaboration with 6Médias.