Ireland big guns to miss Chicago trip
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt named a 27-man squad for Ireland's opening match of their year-end series – against the All Blacks at Soldier Field.
Sean O'Brien, Iain Henderson and Peter O'Mahony (all injury-related), along with Paddy Jackson, unavailable due to personal reasons, will not make the trip to Chicago.
Keith Earls will also miss the trip due to a ban for a dangerous tackle in the European Cup.
The game seems to have come a little too soon for the formidable back row forwards O'Brien and O'Mahony – who are both only recently returned from long-term injury lay-offs.
Although there are a number of bumps and bruises from involvement in the weekend's Pro12 fixtures the squad selected has been declared fit to travel.
Ireland squad: Finlay Bealham (Buccaneers/Connacht), Rory Best (Banbridge/Ulster – captain), Joey Carbery (Clontarf/Leinster), Sean Cronin (St Marys/Leinster), Ultan Dillane (Corinthians/Connacht), Tadgh Furlong (Clontarf/Leinster), Craig Gilroy (Ulster), Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Dublin University/Leinster), Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Leinster), Billy Holland (Cork Constitution/Munster), Rob Kearney (UCD/Leinster), Kieran Marmion (Buccaneers/Connacht), Jack McGrath (St Marys/Leinster), Luke McGrath (UCD/Leinster), Jordi Murphy (Lansdowne/Leinster), Conor Murray (Garryowen/Munster), Jared Payne (Ulster), Garry Ringrose (UCD/Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster), John Ryan (Cork Constitution/Munster), Jonathan Sexton (St Marys/Leinster), Christian Stander (Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster), Josh van der Flier (UCD/Leinster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster).
