LEINSTER HAVE CONFIRMED that Ireland international wing James Lowe will miss this Saturday’s Champions Cup semi-final against Toulouse in Dublin.
30-year-old Lowe suffered a calf injury in Leinster’s quarter-final win over Leicester three weekends ago and hasn’t recovered in time to feature against Top 14 giants Toulouse.
Jordan Larmour will be the favourite to come in on the wing for Leo Cullen’s side, with Jimmy O’Brien possibly switching from the right wing to the left and Larmour wearing number 14.
Meanwhile, doubts remain over the fitness of back rows Josh van der Flier and Ryan Baird, as well as centre Charlie Ngatai.
World Rugby player of the year van der Flier has been sidelined since picking up an ankle injury against Ulster in the Champions Cup round of 16 four weekends ago, but Leinster say he will step up his rehabilitation this week.
Baird, who can also play in the second row, suffered a shoulder injury in the quarter-final win against Leicester and though there were initially fears that his season could be over, the 23-year-old is close to a return. Like van der Flier, he will progress with his rehabilitation this week.
Leinster say a final call will be made on their availability against Toulouse later this week, while Ngatai is in the same boat.
The Kiwi centre has been out of action since January with a hamstring injury but he returned to training last week and “will be further assessed this week” before a decision is made on his possible involvement against Toulouse.
Leinster have confirmed that experienced back row Rhys Ruddock has undergone surgery on the hamstring injury he picked up on their two-game tour of South Africa.
Loosehead prop Ed Byrne suffered a triceps injury, while tighthead Vakhtang Abdaladze picked up a neck injury, wing Tommy O’Brien injured his shoulder, and loosehead prop Michael Milne is going through the return-to-play protocols for head injury following the bruising tour.
Like Ngatai, scrum-half Cormac Foley returned to training last week after overcoming a hamstring injury.
Lowe, Leinster captain Johnny Sexton [groin], Jamie Osborne [knee], Rónan Kelleher [shoulder], Joe McCarthy [ankle], and Martin Moloney [knee] all remain on Leinster’s longer-term injury list.
