Brive will be without Italian fly-half Luciano Orquera for their Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final with Munster after the playmaker was ruled out for up to four months following an ankle injury.
The 29-year-old guided Italy to their RBS 6 Nations triumph over France a fortnight ago but injured his left ankle in last weekend's defeat to Scotland.
The Italian Rugby Federation announced today that Orquera will undergo an operation to repair the injury next week and is likely to be out of action from three to four months.
This rules Orquera out of Brive's first European knock-out game since losing to Worcester Warriors at the same stage of the competition two year ago, but should means he returns to action in time for Italy's World Cup warm-up games in August.
The two former Heineken Cup Champions will meet in the last eight of the Amlin Challenge Cup at the Stadium Municipal on Saturday April 9.