Captain Caelan Doris and hooker Rónan Kelleher are hoping to shake off injuries this week ahead of Ireland’s visit to Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 2.15pm).
The pair are being managed by the Ireland medical team with Doris suffering from a knee injury and Kelleher with a neck complaint.
Both are in a race against time with the Irish squad to face Wales to be named on Thursday morning.
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Tighthead prop Tadhg Furlong, who left Ireland’s pre-Six Nations training camp in Quinta do Lago, Portugal early, is continuing to make progress with a calf injury.
Both winger Mack Hansen, who suffered a deep cut to his knee, and lock Joe McCarthy, who got a knock to the head in training days before the opening round game against England, are back training with the squad.
“Mack and Joe are training fully, they’re good. It’s simply a management piece for Tadhg and Caelan,” said Ireland’s head of athletic performance Aled Walters.
“These weeks are great, you get to manage some guys. Some need a push, some need to be pulled back a little bit. That’s just the management piece.”
But Furlong still has some work to do, Walters added. “I think we’ll need to make a call during the week, he’s got a bit of work to do,” he said. “But we’d be anticipating that, if he’s not there, he’s close anyway.”
Ireland interim head coach Simon Easterby has added six players to the squad as they look for a third win from three games in Cardiff.
Munster’s Gavin Coombes and John Hodnett, Ulster’s Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale and Nick Timoney, and Leinster’s and Diarmuid Mangan have been drafted in to the squad ahead of Saturday’s game.
Munster scrumhalf Craig Casey will also join the Ireland camp this week as he bids to return to action over the coming months following a knee injury.
Ulster lock Iain Henderson (hamstring) and backrow Cormac Izuchukwu (ankle) are both unavailable due to injury. The pair will remain with their province to recover and commence their rehabilitation programmes.
Ireland squad to face Wales
Backs: Bundee Aki, Caolin Blade, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson-Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O’Brien, Jamie Osborne, Sam Prendergast, Jacob Stockdale, Garry Ringrose.
Forwards: Ryan Baird, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne, Jack Boyle, Thomas Clarkson, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Caelan Doris, Tadhg Furlong, Cian Healy, Rob Herring, John Hodnett, Rónan Kelleher, Diarmuid Mangan, Gus McCarthy, Joe McCarthy, Peter O’Mahony, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Dan Sheehan, Nick Timoney, Josh van der Flier.
