BOTH JOHN COONEY and Billy Burns are major injury doubts for Ulster’s Heineken Champions Cup trip to Welford Road on Saturday afternoon, as the province bid to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in five years.
Cooney suffered a back spasm in training last week and missed the famous victory over Racing 92 at Kingspan Stadium, while out-half Burns picked up a calf strain in that match.
Cooney was named in Dan McFarland’s starting team for the visit of the French side to Belfast, but was a late withdrawal from the side after failing a late fitness test. 25-year-old Dave Shanahan deputised in the nine jersey.
Burns, meanwhile, sustained a calf problem on Saturday night and will have a scan today to determine the exact prognosis.
The loss of their first-choice half-back pairing would be a blow ahead of Ulster’s pivotal Pool 4 game against Leicester Tigers [KO 3.15pm, BT Sport].
McFarland’s side are currently second behind Racing on 18 points and they travel to Welford Road knowing victory over the Tigers would guarantee them a place in the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2013/14 season.
The extent of Cooney’s back injury will be a concern for Joe Schmidt, too, after Luke McGrath suffered a serious-looking knee injury during Leinster’s bonus-point win over Toulouse on Saturday.
With Kieran Marmion still working his way back from ankle surgery, Conor Murray may be the only senior scrum-half fit and available ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations opener against England on 2 February.
Ulster reported no other injuries from their 26-22 win over Racing.
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