Injury problems mounting for the provinces

RUGBY:INJURIES, AND plenty of them, to key players over the weekend have ensured three Irish provinces will be understrength for the opening rounds of the Heineken Cup.

Ulster seem in the most perilous position with captain Johann Muller sustaining a suspected fractured arm during Saturday night’s 22-3 defeat of Connacht at Ravenhill. Tom Court (knee) and Stephen Ferris, yet again (this time an ankle), were also forced off the field.

A more detailed prognosis on all three forwards is expected today.

The 2010 French champions Clermont Auvergne come to Belfast on Saturday before Brian McLaughlin’s men go to Leicester in round two. Ulster have already lost imported backs Ruan Pienaar (hamstring) and Jared Payne (Achilles tendon)

Irish left wing Keith Earls may be out until January after sustaining medial knee ligament damage in the opening minute of Munster’s 24-19 defeat to Leinster at the Aviva Stadium last Friday night.

“Keith Earls will have a scan tomorrow to determine the exact extent of the damage he sustained,” read a Munster statement yesterday. “While it’s not known at this stage how long he’ll be sidelined, he will not be available for Munster’s November Heineken Cup games.”

Four weeks is the best case scenario for Earls’ return. That rules him out of the Northampton Saints match at Thomond Park this Saturday and away to Castres Olympique the following weekend. Munster face the Scarlets in round three on December 10th

Meanwhile, the Leinster and IRFU medical experts are expected to green light an operation on Brian O’Driscoll’s recurring neck/shoulder problem.

The Irish captain, along with Shane Horgan, will be notable absentees from the starting XV when the defending champions open their campaign in Montpellier on Saturday (kick-off 1.30pm).

Horgan was left out of Leinster’s initial Heineken Cup squad after damaging the patella tendon in his knee during last season’s Magners League final against Munster. The 33-year-old right winger hopes to be back playing in early 2012.

"I had surgery the next week, after the Munster game, so I have been out with it for six months pretty much and it just wasn't responding the way you would have wanted," Horgan told the Meath Chronicle. "I attended another tendon specialist, a Swedish guy and he recommended more surgery on it.

“The real issue was the last game of the season against Munster. That’s where I really damaged it and after that I got the surgery, but now it needs more.

“I’m very optimistic now (after the diagnosis) and after the rehabilitation I hope I’ll be back in the New Year. I’d certainly be looking to play after Christmas. You know the way surgeons are, they are always hopeful.”