MUNSTER HAVE CONFIRMED that second row Donnacha Ryan will not be fit to play against Leinster in the RaboDirect Pro12 this weekend.
The Ireland international picked up a foot injury in Saturday night’s 14-3 victory over Treviso at Thomond Park, although he did manage to finish the game.
Having flagged the injury post-match, Ryan visited a foot specialist this afternoon, who confirmed that the 30-year-old would not recover in time to be involved in the inter-provincial clash with Leinster at the Aviva Stadium in four days’ time.
The Tipperary man has already had injury problems this season, with a knee issue preventing him from competing for a starting place in Ireland’s Six Nations campaign. Ryan has made 11 appearances for his province this season, but will be disappointed to miss the high-profile encounter this weekend.
Rob Penney will be relieved that Dave Foley has shown such strong form in recent months. Indeed, the 25-year-old would have backed himself to start against Leinster even if Ryan had been passed fit.
Prop John Ryan will also be unavailable this weekend, having suffered concussion against Treviso. The Cork man will now undergo the IRB’s return-to-play protocols.
Meanwhile, Leinster have reported that their squad is in good shape ahead of Saturday night’s clash. The eastern province trained at UCD this afternoon, with hooker Sean Cronin taking a full part in the session.
Luke Fitzgerald showed no repercussions after last weekend’s win over Zebre, despite his recent travails with injury and having been on the receiving end of some rough defending from the Italians.
There are still concerns over propping duo Jack McGrath [shoulder] and Tadhg Furlong [ankle], with further monitoring of both players to be carried out as the week unfolds.
