Stade Toulousain’s mounting injury problems show no sign of abating, despite news that scrum-half Byron Kelleher will not be sidelined for as long as initially feared.

The 32-year-old scrum-half has been pencilled in for a playing comeback against Stade Francais on September 26, but head coach Guy Noves’ joy will have been tempered by confirmation that second row Yohann Maestri has undergone surgery on a broken metacarpal in his right hand.

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Maestri, who arrived from Toulon in the summer as the long-term replacement for Fabien Pelous, is expected to be out for a month. He joins Alberto Vernet Basualdo on the crock list after the hooker required 17 stitches to a cut leg sustained during last weekend’s laboured victory over SCA Albi.

Both players will be unavailable for Sunday’s away trip to Toulon – being played at Olympique Marseille’s Stade Velodrome – as they join an ever-increasing list of absentees.

In addition to Kelleher, Maestri and Basualdo, Noves will also have to do without David Skrela, Maleli Kunavore, Maxime Médard and Clément Poitrenaud. Former Saracens prop Census Johnston is also doubtful after injuring a wrist. Against Albi Noves tried to counter the absences by playing Yannick Jauzion at full back and Florian Fritz at fly-half, but neither experiment was deemed overly successful as Toulouse struggled for fluency and their usual attacking flair.

They will certainly need to improve if they’re going to come away with points from Sunday’s clash, which looks like being a 60,000 sell-out after Toulon confirmed that 52,000 tickets had already been sold earlier in the week. Last season’s fixture between these two sides attracted 57,039 fans to the Velodrome.

Meanwhile, former Stade and France captain Pelous has joined the rugby committee of the International Rugby Board (IRB). “Having retired from playing the game only this year, Fabien has considerable experience of the modern Test and domestic game environment and will give the committee a valuable insight into important issues such as player welfare and trends within the game,” said IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset.

Stade Toulousain, however, are not the only club suffering from a lengthy injury list in Top 14, with Albi themselves denied the use of a whopping 17 players at present. The newly-promoted club have so far lost all five of their games back in the top flight and coach Eric Béchu said his depleted squad will have to battle on for some time yet.

“They know they have to hang in there for another month before the return of the wounded, who will infuse freshness into the squad,” he said. “It is true that with 17 injured players and only 28 fit ones it is not easy,” added Béchu.

Despite all this Albi managed to hold Toulouse for much of Saturday’s 19-13 defeat, which earned them a highly creditable defensive bonus.

“This is an encouraging sign, yes, but we still lack a lot of maturity in this type of game. We went to Toulouse with no real ambitions and we were not able to return to winning ways. We’re making too many stupid mistakes,” he told rugbyrama.

Albi’s immediate task in hand is to play host to Top 14 leaders Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, another daunting prospect for the only team yet to register a single win in the league so far. “We have to play them, that’s the Top 14,” said Béchu.

The only good news for Béchu is that Clermont are likely to rest a number of players after the busy start to the new season, with captain Aurélien Rougerie set to be one of those omitted.

“This early championship with three games in eight days was very intense,” said Rougerie after Clermont’s 30-22 win over Racing-Métro 92. “Mentally and physically we need a break. We suffered many injuries since the end of last season,” he added.

Bayonne’s apparent breakdown in talks with former Wallaby wing Lote Tuqiri might not be terminal, at least not according to the player himself. The Basque club broke off transfer negotiations earlier this week claiming that Tuqiri had upped his original pay demands, but now the ex-international says wires may have been unintentionally crossed and added that he remains hopeful of a deal to join the Top 14 club.

“I’m still confident that our negotiations can go on,” he told the Herald newspaper. “Something may have been lost in translation, or misunderstood in communication.”

And Tuqiri’s former international colleague Adam Freier added that Bayonne’s stance might just have been a bargaining tool. “Don’t be fooled by Bayonne pulling out of the Lote race. Lots of French clubs do it. Don’t be surprised if they announce his signature next week,” Frier wrote on Twitter.

Brive are on the lookout for a “medical joker” (replacement) for injured centre Riki Flutey. The England and British Lions international has been ruled out for three months due to a long-standing shoulder problem, after which he will – most likely – then join up with the England squad for the Six Nations Championship.

Former Springbok centre Wayne Julies, 30, has signed a two-year deal with ProD2 side Aix-en-Provence. The 11-times capped international joins from South Africa’s Vodacom Blue Bulls.

Pau have also strengthened their squad by signing former Dax winger Bruno Hiriart. The 26-year-old had been unemployed since failing to secure a new contract in the summer, but now joins the ProD2 side with immediate effect.

Unbeaten Lyon OU have also snapped up a new signing, with former Brive centre Alexandru Manta joining. The 32-year-old Romanian has, like Hiriart, been on the unemployed list since the end of last season. Manta becomes Lyon’s ninth new signing for this campaign, but he is unlikely to be the last. The club is still looking to find a replacement for injured winger Rémy Grosso, who has been ruled out for the entire season due to ruptured ligaments in his left knee.

Lannemezan centre Steve Pecune is out for at least six weeks after rupturing his Achilles tendon against Auch at the weekend.

ProD2 side Oyonnax will mark their centenary on Saturday with a visit from guest of honour Pierre Camou, president of the Fédération Francaise de Rugby (FFR). Celebrations are due to begin at the Parc René Nicod at 14.30, before continuing at the Stade Charles-Mathon before the home match against RC Narbonne.

Elsewhere, FC Auch Gers president Bernard Salam has announced that he will resign in October – together with his board members – “in the interests of the club”. A replacement president should be elected at October’s general meeting.

Tarbes have confirmed Cotton Traders as their new shirt sponsor for the 2009/10 season. The Midi-Pyrenees club follows in the illustrious footsteps of England, Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks and Bath Rugby.

Meanwhile, down in Fédérale 1, Marseille-Vitrolles star signing Jonah Lomu has turned to bodybuilding to help him get fit for his return to club rugby.

The 34-year-old, who is expected in France in November, told New Zealand’s Dominion Post that he’s discovered a new passion after returning to the weights room recently.

“I just started out wanting to get back in shape and it’s just gone from there,” said the 63-Test veteran. “I’ve always loved lifting weights – just ask the All Blacks – so it’s been a lot of fun. I can’t wait to get up there on Saturday,” he added, in reference to his first bodybuilding competition.

His weight had reportedly ballooned up to 142kg before he began his latest fitness quest, but the paper claimed he would be back down to 114kg for the weekend contest.

“You do look in the mirror at your body and it’s amazing how critical you become,” said Lomu. “I’m seeing myself in a different shape. It’s been hard work but anybody can be a bodybuilder, it’s all about discipline,” he added.

Finally, France’s selection committee will meet on October 28 to pick a squad of 30 players for the November Tests against South Africa (Nov 13^th), Samoa (21^st) and New Zealand (28^th). The 30-man squad will assemble at the Marcoussis national training centre on November 6^th, with the 23-strong squad to face South Africa expected to be named on November 9^th..