CONNACHT HEAD COACH Kieran Keane could be without both Eoin McKeon and Jake Heenan as the busy festive period approaches.
The western province have confirmed today that McKeon will be out of action “for a number of weeks” after picking up a hamstring injury in Cardiff on Friday.
McKeon was selected at blindside flanker for Connacht in their 36-30 defeat to Cardiff Blues, but he was forced to withdraw from the Guinness Pro14 fixture just before kick-off after injuring himself in the warm-up. Eoghan Masterson started in his place.
The 26-year-old could be joined on the sidelines by back-row colleague Jake Heenan, who had to be replaced by hooker Shane Delahunt in the 48th minute at Cardiff Arms Park having sustained a shoulder injury.
Heenan, whose departure from Connacht at the end of this season was announced last week, is currently awaiting the results of a scan to determine the extent of the injury.
With a growing list of injury absentees, Connacht travel to take on Zebre in the Pro14 on Saturday before facing into back-to-back European Challenge Cup fixtures against Brive. Kieran Keane’s side will then return to Pro14 action with three inter-provincial games in the space of 15 days.
Among those currently recovering from injuries for Connacht are Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Andrew Browne, Jarrad Butler, Sean O’Brien, Craig Ronaldson, Rory Scholes and Cormac Brennan.
However, the province say James Connolly, Peter Robb and Stacey Ili will all return to training this week following their respective injury problems.
