Brive have been dealt a substantial blow ahead of this weekend's mouth-watering Heineken Cup tie against Leinster.
The 1997 winners face last season's European Champions at the Stadium Municipal on Saturday afternoon but they will be forced to do so without joint-captain Alix Popham.
The Welsh international back-row forward dislocated his elbow in Brive's Heineken Cup opener and will be out of action for a month.
Popham's injury marked a disappointed afternoon for the French outfit who began their return to Heineken Cup action without picking up a single point.
Having not appeared in the continent's premier competition since their defeat to Bath in the 1998 Heineken Cup Final, Brive were beaten 24-12 by the Scarlets in Llanelli.
It was also a doubly disappointing afternoon for Popham himself who had been making his first appearance at his former club since departing for France in 2008.
The 30-year-old sustained the injury while making a tackle and is not expected to feature again until early November.