RASSIE ERASMUS WILL have at least one extra second row option at his disposal when Munster open their Champions Cup campaign away to Castres. But a neck injury is keeping Jean Kleyn in doubt for the trip to France.
Academy lock Sean O’Connor, who like Kleyn picked up his neck injury in the loss to Glasgow, has returned to full training along with prop James Cronin who has shaken off a minor knee problem.
With emergency signing from Saracens Mark Flanagan among the replacements, Robin Copeland was tasked with playing as a makeshift lock during Munster’s inter-pro loss to Leinster on Saturday.
Speaking afterwards, Erasmus sounded somewhat positive about Kleyn’s chances of being fit for Sunday’s European opener. However, the province’s injury update today says the South African ‘continues to be managed by the medical team’.
Another lock on the comeback trail Darren O’Shea will be set a modified training load as he progresses his recovery after shoulder surgery, but Gerbrandt Grobler (ankle), Conor Oliver (shoulder) Ronan O’Mahony (fibula), Dave O’Callaghan, Dan Goggin and Jaco Taute (all knee) remain firmly in the rehab stage.
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