Rugby:Clermont Auvergne have suffered a setback ahead of their Heineken Cup semi-final clash against defending champions Leinster on Sunday after French outhalf David Skrela was ruled out with a thigh injury.

The 33-year-old will undergo a minor operation on the injury, which he picked up after three minutes of the quarter-final victory over Saracens.

It was thought that Skrela would recover in time for Sunday’s game in Bordeaux, with Australian Brock James set to continue as playmaker for the semi-final clash.