Dimitri Yachvili is expected to be out of action for the next two months with a left knee injury - ruling him out of Biarritz Olympique's four remaining Heineken Cup Pool 4 matches.
French international scrum half Yachvili is the eighth highest Heineken Cup points scorer with 377 in 40 appearances and his lengthy absence will be a huge blow to the Basque club.
Yachvili will miss the back-to-back Rounds 3 and 4 matches against Glasgow Warriors next month and almost certainly the final Pool matches in the new year, away to Saracens and home to Viadana.
Biarritz top Pool 4 with two wins from the opening two rounds - Yachvili supplying 31 of their points - but the injury that forced the 27-year-old No 9 off at half time in the Top 14 match against Toulouse last weekend is a major setback for the 2006 Heineken Cup finalists.
