Munster are looking at a long injury list

Munster coach Alan Gaffney will wait for Jeremy Staunton and Anthony Horgan to pass fitness tests before he names his team to play Connacht in the Celtic League quarter-final at Musgrave Park on Friday.

The squad has been badly hit by injuries, though there are still plenty of options in the forwards. However, the back line has been severely affected, with Staunton's groin and Horgan's hamstring injuries adding to a string of other injury problems.

Definitely out are backs Dominic Crotty (hand), Rob Henderson (biceps), John O'Neill (ankle) and John Kelly (knee), while flanker David Wallace has a long-term injury.

Munster will announce their line-up today and look forward to the return of Paul O'Connell and Donncha O'Callaghan, which should give Gaffney a selection of options for his back five line-up.

The Connacht team was announced yesterday and although coach Steph Nel has fewer injury worries, he must play without his captain Tim Allnutt, vice-captain Warwick Waugh (both of whom are out for the season) as well as experienced prop Dan McFarland and flanker Colm Rigney.

UCD centre Shane Moore will captain the side, which has six changes from the team that went down to Glasgow in their final pool game. Mark McHugh moves to full back with Gavin Duffy starting on the right wing, Ted Robinson switching to the left wing.

Ronan McCormack comes back into a front row which also sees Marnus Uijs starting as hooker. Damien Browne comes into the second row while Paul Neville is selected at blindside flanker.

Gaffney said: "Our preparations have gone okay taking into account that we have been without our international boys for quite some time, while Connacht have not had the same demands.

"It is going to be a difficult game against Connacht. I have watched tapes of them and they have definitely improved as a side.

"They have some fine players and when any two of the Irish provinces play each other, it is never a run-away."

Ulster, who play last season's semi-finalists Glasgow Rugby on Saturday at Hughenden (which will be screened on BBC's Grandstand), are hoping Ireland second row Gary Longwell gets over the shoulder injury sustained at Lansdowne Road against Argentina last Saturday.

The good news is the X-rays revealed no damage other than that to soft tissue and, with intensive physiotherapy, Ulster coach Alan Solomons is hopeful Longwell can start the game.

Another name that could come into contention is back row Andy Ward. He played a part in Ballynahinch's Ulster Senior Cup match last week and, although drastically short of match practice, could be added to the squad.

Tony McWhirter, meanwhile, will have to pass a fitness check for an ankle injury.

One name that won't be on the Glasgow side is Scottish second row John White, who was concussed in Scotland's win over Fiji at Murrayfield at the weekend.

A concussion injury demands a statutory three-week lay-off from the game. But the home side are confident of advancing in the competition with coach Kiwi Searancke anxious to have his international players back in the squad.

"It's great to have the international players back. The more we have in the national side, the better we can become. If they are used to playing in big games for Scotland then they should be more composed when it comes to Saturday's game against Ulster," he said.

CONNACHT: M McHugh; G Duffy, D Yapp, S Moore (capt), T Robinson; E Elwood, C Keane; R McCormack, M Uijs, P Bracken; D Browne, R Frost; P Neville, J O'Sullivan, J O'Connor. Replacements: F Boiroux, J Flannery, M Swift, E Peters, E Reddan, J Norton, W Munn.