Sheridan to have shoulder surgery

Rugby:England prop Andrew Sheridan will miss the autumn internationals after being ruled out for four months with a shoulder injury.

Sheridan sustained the damage when a scrum collapsed during Sale's Heineken Cup victory over Cardiff Blues on Friday night.

The 29-year-old Lions prop will undergo a full reconstruction of his left shoulder on Wednesday.

Thierry Dusautoir, meanwhile, has been handed the France captaincy on a permanent basis to replace veteran Lionel Nallet.

The 27-year-old flanker had already stood in for Nallet as skipper while he was injured for Les Bleus' winter tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Nallet missed that tour because of a rib injury and in his absence Dusautoir, who has made 25 appearance for his country, led his side to their first victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand for 15 years - a 27-22 triumph in Dunedin.

France coach Marc Lievremont admitted he could not look past the Toulouse flanker following a meteoric rise on the international stage after making his France debut against Romania in 2006.

"The deciding factor was the rise of Thierry Dusautoir during the past two years, which has been fairly consistent," Lievremont said.

"I feel this is a key period, with a settled group that is working. We're going to work step by step towards the World Cup and Thierry has the stature to take the role."