Rugby-France's Fofana ruled out of World Cup with thigh injury

France centre Wesley Fofana has been withdrawn from their Rugby World Cup squad in Japan due to a thigh injury he sustained in a warm-up win over Italy last month, the French Rugby Federation (FFR) said on Saturday. The experienced 31-year-old, who missed Saturday's 23-21 victory over Argentina in Tokyo, will be replaced by Pierre-Louis Barassi, the FFR said in a statement https://www.ffr.fr/actualites/xv-de-france/forfait-de-fofana-remplace-par-barassi.

Lyon centre Barassi, 21, is the third member of France's World Rugby under-20 championship-winning side of 2018 in the senior squad alongside Romain Ntamack and Demba Bamba. France, World Cup quarter-finalists in 2015, will face the United States in their next match at Fukuoka on Oct. 2 before games against Tonga and England.