ANDREW TRIMBLE HOPES to be fit enough to make his first start of the season when Ulster begin their Champions Cup tilt away in Bordeaux next weekend.
Ulster are aiming for a sixth straight win when they face Connacht at the Sportsground this Friday. But there are equally big games just around the corner as the northern province will head for France on Sunday 16 October to meet Ian Madigan’s Bordeaux before welcoming Exeter Chiefs to Belfast a week later.
Trimble’s reintegration into the squad for this campaign was hampered by a foot injury in pre-season, but speaking at today’s Champions Cup launch in Dublin the experienced wing says he expects the issue to soon be resolved and clarified that it was not connected to the toe problem which kept him sidelined for so long last year.
“It’s not related. Coincidentally the site of the injury is quite nearby,” said the Ulster co-captain.
“I should be grand in a week or two, it’s just frustrating. If someone had said to me six weeks ago it would take this long… it’s just week to week. It is getting there and hopefully I’ll be there in a week or two.”
Director of rugby Les Kiss also sounded confident about the prospect of Stuart Olding and Luke Marshall joining the squad on the trip to Bordeaux.
“Unfortunately his head just hit the ground,” Kiss said of Marshall’s concussion, adding that the club made sure to tightly monitor the centre given his history with head injuries.
He’s had three weeks now going through the protocols. He’s seen a specialist, he’s gone through all the procedures. Of course, we’re going to give him the best care we can. No one likes to see that happen to anyone. He won’t be right this week, but he’ll probably be right the following week.”
The same goes for Olding, albeit with a much more straightforward injury.
“Stuart’s got a little adductor (groin) thing that he’s just managing..
“He’s not quite right. He ran yesterday for about a third of the session. He’s gathering a bit more momentum. At a pinch he’d probably be alright this week, but Friday’s a bit close. We’ll move him in to next week’s programme and hopefully he’ll be good for next week.”
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