Jamie Heaslip remains ‘small doubt’ for Ireland opener against Italy

Jamie Heaslip is a slight concern ahead of Ireland's opening Six Nations Championship match against Italy in Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Saturday as he continues to seek full fitness from a shoulder injury.

Ireland team manager Mick Kearney explained: "I'd say there is probably some small doubt about him but he has rehabbed really well. Jamie, being the professional athlete that he is, really does look after his body extremely well and would have worked on it over the weekend so I suppose the next day or two would tell a lot. But there would be a small degree of doubt about him. Yes."

The Leinster and Ireland number eight suffered the initial damage in a Guinness Pro12 game against Ulster last month but has managed to play despite the issue, and is likely to do so again at the weekend.

Jonathan Sexton will see his French neurosurgeon on Thursday when he is expected to be given the all-clear to resume full contact work. Kearney admitted: "He's been in camp all last week, trained really well, very focused, taken a full part apart from the contact; hopefully he will get a clean bill of health and hopefully he will be all systems go for the following week (against France in Dublin)."

Cian Healy will undergo a final test on his hamstring later on Monday and if he comes through will be permitted to return to full contact training.

“If he comes through that test he will be allowed to train fully for the rest of the week,” said Kearney. “If that happens with Cian, given the athlete he is, I would expect that he would be in consideration for the French game.”

Dave Kearney (shoulder) and Luke Fitzgerald (bug) took a full part in training, Eoin Reddan (knee) will resume contact work on Tuesday, while Kearney also gave an update on scrumhalf Conor Murray's neck injury.

“He trained well on Friday and he’ll progress to full contact training this week.

“That has happened (a reference to a scan on his neck). We had an open training session in the Aviva last Friday and Conor took a full part in that. There was some minor contact in that and he came through it really well. We would expect Conor to be available for selection. I don’t know the actual definitive medical term he has just had a sore neck.”

Mike McCarthy hasn’t been ruled out of contention for the Italy game despite suffering a concussion while playing for the Ireland Wolfhounds in Cork last Friday night. “The follow up tests have been very good but it is too early to say if he will be available for selection at the weekend.

“He’s very much on track. He had his initial test post game and it was very positive. He was in last night and he was in good form. There is a reasonably positive outlook there for Mike in terms of coming through for this weekend; if not this weekend then the following weekend.”

Seán O'Brien is a bit stiff and sore, a natural legacy for his first game in six months but trained fully while Kearney also pointed out that Jack McGrath, Mike Ross, Iain Henderson and Keith Earls all benefited positively from the Wolfhounds match.

The Ireland team to play Italy will be announced on Thursday.