Scotland captain Malcolm ruled out of France clash

Captain Rachel Malcolm has been ruled out of Scotland's Women's Six Nations match against France on Saturday.

Malcolm missed the defeat to Italy in Parma in round two with a knee injury, pulling out on the morning of the match having been named in the starting line-up.

Scotland assistant Claire Cruikshank confirmed Malcolm remains sidelined but has not been ruled out for the remainder of the championship.

"Rachel Malcolm's currently not fit for selection for this game," said Cruikshank.

"It's just a continuation of that knee issue. We're hopeful that she'll be back by Ireland.

"She's still with the squad. Rachel's still here and is a very key component in everything we're doing this week in the build-up to the France game.

"She's very much in and around and still leading by example in everything that she does in terms of her rehab and obviously just being around the group as well."

Cruikshank confirmed that wing Rhona Lloyd and back-row Emily Coubrough are going through return-to-play protocols following concussions, but Evie Wills, Rachel McLachlan and Hannah Walker have all been ruled out for the rest of the tournament.

Midfielder Lisa Thomson is back in the squad and should provide much needed experience for a side looking to bounce back against the French after heavy defeats to England and Italy.

"France are a top quality side for a reason," Cruikshank said.

"They're a semi-finalist in the World Cup and they're a brilliant opponent. We're excited to get back to Hive and play there in front of our home fans again and build on the experience from playing [England] at Murrayfield because the fans were fantastic that day.