Rugby player Medard out for up to 9 months

France fullback Maxime Medard is set to be out of action for up to nine months he revealed on his Twitter account on Wednesday after suffering a serious knee injury in last Sunday's 23-17 Six Nations win over Scotland. The 25-year-old Toulouse star is set to undergo an operation on his damaged cruciate and anterior ligaments next Monday before he goes into rehabilitation. "The operation is booked Monday and my unavailabilty will be from 6 to 9 months," tweeted the 30-times capped back. Medard's injury is a blow both to France's hopes of winning the Six Nations Grand Slam - they have won their first two games and face Ireland on Sunday - and Toulouse's chances of winning a fifth European Cup.