MUNSTER HAVE REPORTED that Keith Earls has sustained a back injury, adding a fresh concern for Ireland boss Andy Farrell ahead of the autumn Tests.
Ireland international Earls was absent from Munster’s dramatic win over Scarlets last weekend and Munster have now confirmed that he has begun rehabilitation on a back issue, although the province hasn’t provided a timeframe for his recovery.
Ireland boss Farrell already had injury worries over the likes of Johnny Sexton, Andrew Porter, Max Deegan, and Tom O’Toole ahead of the resumption of the 2020 Six Nations on 24 October against Italy in Dublin.
Munster loosehead prop Dave Kilcoyne remains sidelined by an ankle injury and has yet to play since rugby’s restart in August.
However, Munster have confirmed that Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray is set for a return to training this week, with the province hoping to be back at their high performance centre in Limerick tomorrow following more Covid-19 testing today.
Murray has been sidelined in recent weeks due to a thigh injury but may be ready to feature in Saturday’s Guinness Pro14 clash with Edinburgh.
Fullback Shane Daly is also set for his return to team training after recovering from a groin injury.
Munster have been dealt new injury blows with news that hooker Niall Scannell, who would have hoped to push back into the Ireland mix, will be sidelined for approximately two months due to a neck injury that requires surgery.
Scrum-half Neil Cronin could also be facing a lengthy period out of the game after suffering an ACL injury in training this week. He will meet with the specialist on Friday to discuss surgery.
Meanwhile, RG Snyman [knee], Joey Carbery [ankle], and Liam O’Connor [calf] continue to rehab their injuries.
