Leinster get the rest of their World Cup stars back
TEAM UPDATE: While the remainder of the World Cup stars are returning this week, Leinster has a few injury issues to deal with ahead of back-to-back domestic derbies.
The Irish powerhouse host Scarlets in a United Rugby Championship Round Five match at the RDS on Saturday.
Then they face Munster (at Lansdowne Road) and Connacht (at The Sportsground) in successive weekend ahead of the start of the European Cup.
It has been confirmed that wing Tommy O’Brien will miss a number of weeks, after picking up an ankle injury in last Sunday’s win over Dragons.
It is the latest set-back for the 25-year-old, who looked to be back to his very best – having missed almost a year with an ACL injury sustained in May last year.
O’Brien looks set to return sometime next month.
Coach Leo Cullen – who will soon have World Cup-winning Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber on board – confirmed that all Leinster’s players involved in the global showpiece in France have returned to training.
This past Sunday Ross Byrne, Jimmy O’Brien, Joe McCarthy and Ryan Baird featured in the encounter with the Dragons.
Prop Michael Milne, who has yet to feature this season, will step up his training programme this week as he continues his return from a shoulder injury, while scrumhalf Cormac Foley picked up a shoulder injury at Rodney Parade and will be further assessed this week before a final decision is made on his availability.
John McKee (hamstring), Luke McGrath (knee), Cian Healy (shoulder), Ed Byrne (hamstring) and Alex Soroka (foot) all remain sidelined indefinitely.
* Picture credit: @leinsterrugby
