MUNSTER WILL BE without fullback Mike Haley and tighthead Roman Salanoa until the new year, the province have confirmed ahead of Friday’s pre-season friendly against Leinster at Musgrave Park.

Haley, who enjoyed a career-best campaign with Munster last term, recently had hip surgery and will miss the rest of 2023.

Salanoa, meanwhile, underwent knee surgery at the end of Munster’s URC title-winning season and has also been ruled out for the rest of the calendar year.

Liam Coombes (thigh), Jack O’Sullivan (knee) and Patrick Campbell (ankle) are all undergoing rehab and will miss the opening rounds of the new campaign.

So too will Paddy Patterson, but the scrum-half is expected to return to team training as soon as November following his ACL tear last season.

Ireland international Andrew Conway, who trained with the national team over the summer, is fully fit following a long-term knee injury. Jack Daly, too, has fully recovered from his own knee problem.

New recruit Seán O’Brien is nursing a thigh complaint but is expected to be fit and ready for URC kick-off at home to the Sharks on 21 October.

Antoine Frisch and Joey Carbery are back in training with Graham Rowntree’s side following recent niggles and will be available for selection for the pre-season game against Connacht in two weeks’ time.

Academy product Cian Hurley, meanwhile, remains a longer-term absentee and is not expected to be fit until the new year as he recovers from last season’s surgery on his Achilles and ankle.