Leinster's Malcolm O'Kelly will return to competitive fare on Saturday in the Magners Celtic League game against Connacht at Donnybrook. Ireland's most capped player has not taken to the field since suffering an injury in the province's Heineken European Cup clash with Gloucester at Kingsholm, missing the entire Six Nations Championship in the process.
The initial prognosis was he had damaged a knee but the problem wasn't quite straight forward. The injury centred on an IT band that runs from his hip to his knee. Leinster coach Michael Cheika confirmed the secondrow was fully rehabilitated.
"He has been back in training a good two weeks. He could have played in the Treviso match but we decided to give him a bit more controlled contact work. He has been in full contact work and he's available for selection on Saturday."
The Australian named an extended squad because he's not sure how many of his international contingent will play on Saturday. "We have tried to stay away from our international players, just give them some breathing space. We'll have a chat to the lads and see how they are feeling with regard to playing this week."
Leinster and Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll is out as is prop Ronan McCormack and they could be joined on the sidelines by Felipe Contepomi, who suffered a recurrence of a knee injury sustained in the Treviso game during training this week. Cameron Jowitt sliced his knee and he too remains doubtful.
Cheika remained optimistic. "Felipe Contepomi aggravated a knee injury in training. We've got a few decisions (to make) for the weekend. He's been fine. He hurt his knee in that game against Treviso and started training a couple of days after that and aggravated the knee. It's more about making sure he's fully recovered.
"He's got a massive time going on because he's got his final medical exams on Friday. He looks a bit dishevelled all round . . . He's getting grief from the nutritionist for being severely dehydrated but I think it is related to stress. He looks like he'd be available but we want to make sure he's 100 per cent over the problem."
Leinster won't take any chances and the likelihood is Jonathan Sexton will be handed the number 10 jersey for the Connacht match if there is even the slightest doubt about Contepomi.
In seeking to replace O'Driscoll Cheika will also have to factor in which members of his international three-quarter line, including fullback Girvan Dempsey, will be available for the Connacht match. There are several options including switching Shane Horgan to midfield and moving Gordon D'Arcy to the outside centre role. He could plump to keep his first-choice backline intact and simply allow Kieran Lewis to fill in for O'Driscoll in a straight swap. Other permutations would involve Christian Warner and Rob Kearney.
"We'll try a few things this week. It'll depend on whether Contepomi plays in terms of what type of liberty we can have in changing the team around. We do have options in moving (Gordon) D'Arcy around, the option of bringing Horgan in (to centre), the option of Lewis, the option of Warner and moving Contepomi. It will very much pertain to the type of team we are playing against. We don't just have to cover Brian's loss for one game, we have to cover him for four or five. We have to make sure we tailor that to the team we are playing."
Meanwhile, Munster have, as expected, named Brian Carney in an extended squad ahead of tomorrow night's game against Ulster at Ravenhill.
Despite an extensive injury list that includes Anthony Horgan, Shaun Payne, John Kelly, Mossy Lawlor, Federico Pucciariello, Paul O'Connell, Mick O'Driscoll, James Coughlan and Anthony Foley, coach Declan Kidney has opted not to include his international players involved in the Six Nations Championship.
LEINSTER SQUAD: F Pala'amo, S Wright, R Corrigan, W Green, B Jackman, B Blaney, M O'Kelly, T Hogan, O Finegan, C Jowitt, D Toner, K Gleeson, S Keogh, J Heaslip, K McLaughlin, C Whitaker, G Easterby, C Warner, F Contepomi, M Berne, K Lewis, L Fitzgerald, R Kearney, G D'Arcy, S Horgan, D Hickie, G Dempsey, G Brown, R McCarron, J Sexton.
MUNSTER SQUAD: T Buckley, D Hurley, T Ryan, E McGovern, F Sheahan, J Flannery, C Wyatt, S O'Connor, A Quinlan, D Ryan, T McGann, R Noonan, M Melbourne, J O'Sullivan, C Cullen, I Dowling, B Murphy, T Halstead, B Carney, L Mafi, E Hickey, B O'Meara, T O'Leary, J Manning.
