Munster have suffered an injury blow ahead of the Heineken Cup double header with Saracens after it emerged that CJ Stander has suffered a broken bone in his hand.
Stander’s debut for Munster couldn’t have gone much better after he scored a brace of tries against Glasgow on Saturday night, but the South African was brought down to earth when it was revealed that he broke a bone in his hand during the course of the action.
As a result, Stander will miss both games in Munster’s crucial Heineken Cup double header with Saracens, with James Coughlan called up in his stead.
Coughlan’s inclusion may come as a surprise as he had been expected to be absent for up to five months after tearing his groin in September, but his Lazarus-like recovery means he is fit to take his place in the squad, with Ivan Dineen, who had been registered in place of Coughlan back in September, now de-registered as per competition rules.
It is not yet known how long Stander will be out of action for, but if he can replicate the impact he made on his debut at the weekend when he does return, he could well be set for big things with Munster in the future.
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