All Blacks superstar Dan Carter faces a battle to be fit for the 2009 Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup series after an injury which ended his stint in French club rugby.

The 26-year-old five eighth, who was signed by Perpignan on a lucrative six-month deal worth a reported $A70,000 a match, suffered an Achilles tendon tear in Saturday's 13-13 draw with Stade Francais.

"It is a partial tear of the Achilles tendon which means he will be unavailable for around six months," said Perpignan spokesman Benoit Brazes.

"It's a huge disappointment especially for him, for the club.

"Now we are going to do our best possible to get him healthy again. Our doctor will be in contact with the medical staff of the All Blacks to decide whether or not he will undergo surgery in France.

"At the moment he is in plaster and is at home. He underwent an examination on Sunday morning (in Paris) and returned with us by plane."

Carter's brief stay with the French side, which began in December, was plagued by injury and his time on the pitch amounted to just 361 playing minutes over five matches.

Carter will be hard pressed to be fit for the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup contests which get underway on July 18 when the All Blacks face Australia in Auckland.

On Saturday, Carter, who hit two penalties and converted Maxime Mermoz's try in front of 80,000 people at the Stade de France, was making his return to the Perpignan side after a three-week absence because of an earlier Achilles tendon injury.

Coach Jacques Brunel paid tribute to Carter's performance.

"He was lively, challenging and worked well with the centres and set up the try with a well-judged kick. He is having more and more influence on the game and feels better and better in the team," said Brunel.

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