Leinster coach Joe Schmidt is staring at a mounting injury list ahead of their Heineken Cup opener against Exeter at the RDS on Saturday.
By Declan Whooley
Victory over Munster could come at a high cost with try scorer Brian O’Driscoll, Kevin McLoughlin, Isa Nacewa and Andrew Conway all leaving the field of play with varying injuries.
O’Driscoll sprained his ankle while Nacewa suffered a haematoma after a collision with Simon Zebo.
“It’s pretty hard to get Isa Nacewa and Brian O’Driscoll off the field but they were very much compromised in their running,” Joe Schmidt said in today’s Irish Independent.
“It’s a case of waiting and seeing.”
Kevin McLoughlin hyper-extended his elbow early in the first half and the flanker is facing a race against time to be fit. Conway suffered a neck injury, though Schmidt is confident he will be available for selection. Rob Kearney meanwhile is touch and go for Saturday after picking up an injury against Connacht.
In all Schmidt has a dozen players on the injury list, while Rob Penney looks likely to plan without inspirational leader Paul O’Connell for the visit to Paris to take on Racing Metro.
“If we put a time limit on it and he doesn’t make it, then that puts extra pressure on him. He’s getting close,” Penny admitted.
Declan Kidney will be hoping that the injury list does not get any worse ahead of an Autumn international series that will see Argentina and South Africa visit Dublin next month.
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