Henderson could make Ulster’s squad for clash with Saracens

Talented secondrow-cum-backrow returned to training with Ulster on Monday

Iain Henderson: had surgery on a finger damaged in Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina
Iain Henderson: had surgery on a finger damaged in Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina

Iain Henderson could potentially make Ulster's match day squad for the Champions Cup clash with Saracens at Kingspan stadium tomorrow night just 4½ weeks after surgery on a finger.

Henderson sustained the damage in Ireland’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina and required an operation. However the talented secondrow-cum-backrow returned to training with his province on Monday.

Ulster's opening European game against Oyonnax was postponed last weekend because of the Paris atrocities and it seems likely that Ulster's director of rugby, Les Kiss, may make a few alterations even though the team did not play.

Stuart McCloskey was due to be rested for the game against the French side after a run of playing seven weeks in succession, but he is likely to return for the game against Mark McCall’s Saracens, impressive winners over Toulouse in the first round of matches.

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There is speculation in France that the postponed Champions Cup matches could be rescheduled for the weekend after next. Ulster had been due to take on Leinster, and Munster – their game against Stade Francais on Sunday has been postponed – were to oppose Connacht that weekend.

The alternative that has been suggested in the French media would see the French Top 14 matches scheduled for the weekend after next put back to February 7th, the first weekend of the Six Nations Championship.

That would presumably apply to the Guinness Pro12 and English Premiership clubs affected too.

So the Irish provinces would meet on a weekend that Ireland take on Wales.

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an Irish Times sports writer