Ireland fullback Hugo Keenan could be back in the Leinster squad as early as this week for their United Rugby Championship (URC) match against Glasgow on Saturday in Scotstoun Stadium (kick-off 5.30pm).
Keenan (broken thumb), along with prop Andrew Porter (calf) and flanker Ryan Baird (leg fracture), missed the Six Nations championship and Ireland’s Triple Crown win, with each of them now at different stages of their rehabilitation.
Irish secondrow James Ryan is a doubt for the Glasgow game. A key member this year’s Irish squad, Ryan is due to be assessed on a calf injury with a final decision on his availability to be made later in the week.
Coach Leo Cullen was positive about Keenan’s return and hopeful that Porter would be back sooner rather than later as Leinster face into a Champions Cup Round of 16 match against Edinburgh on April 5th at the Aviva Stadium.
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“Hugo Keenan is good,” said Cullen. “He’s trained away so hopefully he will feature at some point in the very near future for his first game of the season.
“And Andrew will be similar. They’re both going good now. They’re both very different. Hugo was very close to being back, but he had a setback.
“But he’s training now for the Heineken [Cup] so hopefully Hugo might feature this weekend. Ports [Porter] is just trying to get a bit more training into him. But he’s looking good.
“We’ll just manage James [Ryan] this week, so it’s sort of a week of rehab for him and then let’s just see. It’s just early days. I don’t think it’s a show stopper, but it will be a couple of weeks.”
Cullen also said that he is “optimistic” and “hopeful” about Irish left wing James Lowe remaining at Leinster, although nothing has yet been finalised.
Lowe, who injured his groin in Ireland’s 21-42 record win over England at Twickenham, is out of contract at the end of this season and along with Bundee Aki has been linked with a move abroad.
James Ryan is a doubt for Leinster’s trip to play Glasgow on Saturday in the United Rugby Championship. Photograph: Grace Halton/Inpho
Baird will take longer to get back to fitness after suffering a fracture to his tibia against South Africa in Ireland’s final Test of the Autumn Nations series. The 26-year-old played every minute of the Chicago clash with New Zealand and in the Irish wins over Japan and Australia.
“Ryan Baird will be tighter for the knock-out rounds but certainly if he doesn’t make that, certainly just after that,” said Cullen. “He’ll be close. He’s back running I think now so he’s looking in good shape. James Lowe, he’ll be longer.
“Obviously, some of the lads that were in camp will be or were training today. Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien, Ciarán Frawley, Sam Prendergast, Thomas Clarkson,” added Cullen.
“Paddy McCarthy will be gone for a while, [Jack] Boyle gone for the season. Obviously Rabah [Slimani] came back and played the last day as well. which is good.”
Cullen is hoping for a rebound against Glasgow following their 8-7 away defeat to Cardiff last time out.
It leaves Leinster in fourth place on the table with four defeats from 12 matches with Ulster, Stormers and leaders Glasgow above them.
Cullen was uncertain whether Glasgow would have their international players available for the URC match after last weekend’s closing Six Nations defeat to Ireland in Dublin. Eight of the Scotland starting team were Glasgow players with four more on the bench.
“It’s been a good window for us,” said Cullen. “We played one game which we lost, unfortunately pretty horrific conditions, Cardiff on a Friday night. And you lose a tight game 8-7. But Cardiff were very good in terms of their kicking game.
“It’s just making sure we learn from that game now and get the group back together slowly but surely. And get excited for the games we have because Glasgow, sitting at the top of the table, it’ll be a proper challenge for us now. Very difficult place to go, as we know, from over the years.
“And they’re probably the form team in Europe so far this season. So it’s a proper challenge for the group now.”