MUNSTER HAVE CONFIRMED Jean Kleyn will see a specialist today as a neck injury he sustained in the disappointing defeat to Glasgow Warriors requires further investigation, leaving the province’s second row resources depleted further.
The South African lock picked up the injury during 37-10 loss at Scotstoun on Friday and Rassie Erasmus says he won’t be available for this weekend’s visit of Cardiff Blues to Thomond Park.
There are fears Kleyn has re-aggravated the same injury which kept him out for four months earlier this year, although Erasmus today suggested it might be a different problem.
With a key block of fixtures coming up, including a trip to the Aviva to face Leinster and the start of the Champions Cup pool stages, Munster can ill-afford to lose the services of Kleyn, with the province already without three second rows.
Darren O’Shea, Gerbrant Groebler and Dave O’Callaghan are all long-term absentees while academy lock Sean O’Connor also injured his neck in Scotland on Friday night.
It leaves Erasmus with just Billy Holland, Robin Copeland and Ireland U20 international Fineen Wycherley as frontline options for this weekend, although Mark Flanagan linked up with the squad today after joining from Saracens on a three-month deal.
Kleyn and O’Connor aren’t the only casualties from the heavy loss to Glasgow with Jack O’Donoghue and Darren Sweetnam both following return to play protocols after failing HIAs during the game.
On a positive note, Erasmus says Peter O’Mahony, CJ Stander and Conor Murray are all in line to make their first appearances of the season on Saturday while JJ Hanrahan could make his second Munster debut after coming through a club game for UL Bohemian at the weekend.
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