FINLAY BEALHAM, PETER Robb and Jarrad Butler all look set to be out of Connacht action until next month.
Influential openside Butler suffered a fractured hand in the Challenge Cup draw away to Worcester last weekend.
Bealham and Robb sustained their injuries in training in Galway. The international prop suffered a knee injury according to today’s injury update from Connacht and will rehab for ‘the coming weeks’.
Robb, meanwhile, picked up a hamstring issue and the powerful centre will be sidelined for up to a month.
Bundee Aki is not included in the injury list and so is expected to start Connacht’s Challenge Cup pool finale at home to Oyonnax despite reporting with a dead leg post-match in Worcester.
In the second row stocks, James Cannon has returned to full training this week after sitting out a week with a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, Andrew Browne’s recovery from an Achilles problem has encountered a setback and his targeted return date has shifted from mid-January to February.
Following this weekend’s European ties, provinces will have two weeks without a fixture to regroup and recuperate.
The western province return to action with the 9 February home meeting with Ospreys before seeing out the month against Italian opposition – at home to Zebre and away to Benetton.
