MUNSTER HAVE BEEN given a timely boost by the return of hooker Mike Sherry following a two-month injury lay-off.
Sherry joins up with his provincial team-mates in Cork today where he will take part in his first full-contact training session since injuring his ankle in a club game back in October.
Despite his recent progress, Sherry is not expected to feature in the matchday 22 for Munster’s penultimate Heineken Cup pool match against Castres Olympique on Saturday.
Medical staff had initially expected that Sherry would be fit to return to action over the Christmas period, but are now reluctant to risk further injury by rushing him back to action prematurely.
The news of Sherry’s return comes amid a recent spate of injuries suffered by Munster. Tommy O’Donnell (knee) and Tom Gleeson (shoulder) have been ruled out of action for six and ten weeks respectively with knocks picked up in the recent Rabodirect Pro12 defeat to Ulster, while Denis Leamy will go under the knife next week for surgery on a hip problem that has ruled him out of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign as well as the remainder of Munster’s season.
However, long-term injury absentees Felix Jones, Troy Smith, Jerry Flannery and David Wallace are all continuing to make progress in their recovery and are expected to return to training next month.
