Champion South African winger Bryan Habana will be sidelined from French rugby for two months after suffering a thigh muscle injury in Toulon’s European Cup match against Exeter last weekend, club coach Bernard Laporte said on Thursday.

The Springbok flyer was forced off the field in the 37th minute of the match after pulling up sharply as he tried to accelerate.

Laporte said Habana would undergo an operation next week and would be out for at least two months.

That means he will miss the return match with Exeter in Toulon this weekend and the Top-14 games against Montpellier and Racing Metro.