Fitzgerald blow for Leinster

Defending European Cup champions Leinster will be without the services of their Irish wing Luke Fitzgerald.

A statement from the Irish Province on Friday said he requires surgery to resolve an ongoing neck injury.

This will also riled him out of Ireland’s mid-year tour to New Zealand in June.

“Following consultation with Leinster and IRFU [Irish Rugby Football Union] medical staff, it has been decided that Luke Fitzgerald will not be available for selection for the remainder of the season and that he will undergo surgery in the coming weeks to address an ongoing neck problem,” the statement said.

Leinster are on course for back-to-back European Cup titles, when they meet their provincial neighbours Ulster at Twickenham on May 19.

Commenting on the injury, Leinster coach Joe Schmidt said: “Obviously to lose a player of Luke’s pedigree at such a crucial time of the season is a massive blow, not just for the team and our supporters, but also for the player himself.

“Luke has been in fine form recently and as well as his capabilities on the field, he is a positive and popular presence within the dressing-room.

“Knowing Luke, he will be determined to overcome this setback and aggressively tackle his rehab to regain full fitness and he will continue to benefit from the full support of Leinster Rugby and the IRFU during that timeframe.”

It is the latest injury blow for Fitzgerald, who was forced out of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign and also suffered a serious knee injury in 2009 which caused him to miss the entire 2010 Six Nations campaign.

Fitzgerald had forced his way back into the Leinster team in the closing stages of this season.

He started in last weekend’s European Cup semifinal against Clermont-Auvergne and looked set to feature in the decider against Ulster.