Sale's injury crisis deepened today after prop Lionel Faure was ruled out for up to eight weeks with medial ligament damage.

The 29-year-old Frenchman sustained the injury in Saturday's Heineken Cup defeat against the Ospreys, which ended the Guinness Premiership champions' interest in the competition.

The Sharks' head of physical preparation Nick Johnston said: ``Lionel is bitterly disappointed with this injury having just recovered from a broken leg sustained earlier in the season.

``He is starting rehab immediately and we are targeting eight weeks for his return.''

This latest blow piles on the misery for Sale, whose captain Jason Robinson was ruled out of Saturday's clash with a back problem.

He is also set to sit out this weekend's Premiership clash with Gloucester.

Coach Kingsley Jones explained Robinson was paying the price for playing six games in 19 days during a packed Christmas and new year fixture schedule and warned he may not be ready for England's opening RBS 6 Nations clash with Scotland on Saturday week.

He said: ``For him to go straight in against Scotland after not playing for two weeks is a big ask but that will be England's call.''

Even before the loss of Faure and Robinson, Sale were down to the bare bones.

Charlie Hodgson, David Blair, Sililo Martens, Nathan Bonner-Evans and Lee Thomas are already long-term casualties.

Scotland captain Jason White is also out for the season after suffering a serious knee injury, while England prop Andrew Sheridan is not expected to return from a fractured ankle until the spring.

Joining them on the treatment table are Elvis Seveali'i (shoulder), Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe (hamstring), John Carter (shoulder) and Mark Cueto (groin), all of whom should be back in action over the next three months.