Luckless Fofana out of Six Nations

His club Clermont made the announcement on Friday.

The Top 14 side said Fofana had been diagnosed with a cervical disc herniation after complaining of "symptoms that alarmed the Clermont medical staff".

He will undergo surgery in early January and will therefore miss a crucial stage in the club season and will not feature for France in the Six Nations, which begins on February 3.

The 29-year-old, who has won 44 caps, missed nine months of this year after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in January in a European Cup tie against Exeter.

Agence France-Presse