The French squad for Saturday's Six Nations game against Scotland at Murrayfield suffered further blows Monday with the withdrawal through injury of centres Richard Dourthe and Stephane Glas.

Both were injured playing for their club sides at the weekend. Dourthe, who is also the French place-kicker injured a cheek playing for Dax, while Bourgoin's Glas sprained his left ankle.

Glas will be replaced by Cedric Desbrosse of Toulouse and a Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde will come in for Dourthe.

The 22-year-old La Rochelle player Ellisalde is usually a scrumhalf but has played at fly-half for his club since the start of the season. He is also his club's goal kicker.

Presuming the 1.72m (5ft 7in), 73kg(161lb) Elissalde comes in at fly-half, Maso did not make it clear how he would reshuffle the side for the March 4 Six Nations clash against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Elissalde is the son of Jean-Pierre Elissalde, La Rochelle coach and selected five times by France in 1980 and 1981.

Elissalde, initially in the France A team, will be replaced in the reserve side by David Aucagne. Injured Biarritz lock Legi Matiu will also be replaced in the France A team by Samuel Chinaro of Castres.

The French, who have already been hit by a string of injuries, suffered another blow on Sunday when scrum half Fabien Galthie was ruled out of next weekend's game against Scotland.
They have already lost Lionel Mallier, who withdrew with a thigh injury yesterday and was replaced by Arnaud Costes, while Abdelatif Benazzi and Alain Penaud pulled out earlier in the week.

Coach Bernard Laporte said Galthie had suffered a groin injury and would be replaced by Aubin Hueber. Hueber, 33, made his international debut back in 1990 but has not played at test level since the 1995 World Cup. Costes, an international since 1994, was a member of the French squad last year but has not played under Laporte.

Full squad:

Forwards (12): Christian Califano (Toulouse), Franck Tournaire (Toulouse), Pieter De Villiers (Stade Francais), Marc Dal Maso (Colomiers), Raphael Ibanez (Perpignan), Jean Daude (Bourgoin), Fabien Pelous (Toulouse, capt), Olivier Brouzet (Begles-Bordeaux), Sebastien Chabal (Bourgoin), Olivier Magne (Montferrand), Arnaud Costes (Montferrand), Thomas Lievremont (Perpignan)

Backs (10): Christophe Laussucq (Stade Francais), Aubin Hueber (Toulon), Gerald Merceron (Montferrand), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (La Rochelle), David Venditti (Brive), Thomas Lombard (Stade Francais), Emile Ntamack (Toulouse), Christophe Dominici (Stade Francais), Cedric Desbrosse (Toulouse), Thomas Castaignede (Castres)