MUNSTER’S BACKLINE RESOURCES for Saturday’s Guinness Pro14 opener against Dragons could be hit further with the news Darren Sweetnam, Sammy Arnold and Dan Goggin are all doubts for the Thomond Park clash [KO 3pm, TG4/eir Sport/Premier Sports].
With 12 players away on World Cup duty, Johann van Graan has been working with a smaller group in pre-season and must now wait to see if three of his backs will be fit and available for round one.
Sweetnam, Arnold and Goggin did not feature in Saturday’s pre-season friendly defeat to Connacht and Munster today confirmed the trio have picked up unspecified knocks ahead of the campaign curtain-raiser.
Hooker Rhys Marshall is also a doubt for Saturday and the medical team will continue to assess the fitness of all four players ahead of Friday’s team announcement.
In more positive news, Alex Wootton — who has not played since March — has stepped up his rehabilitation from a knee injury and has returned to limited on-field training.
Ciaran Parker [calf] is a long-term absentee, while Australian Jed Holloway has now linked up with the Munster squad in Limerick after signing on a short-term deal for the World Cup period.
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