Rugby:Ireland wing Luke Fitzgerald is targeting a return to action when Leinster take on Ospreys in the Magners League at the RDS on Friday. The young back has stepped up his rehabilitation from a knee injury sustained in the November international series and trained with the squad at UCD today.

Joe Schmidt will reveal whether he is included for the weekend when announcing his team on Thursday. The coach will also have other Ireland frontline players at his disposal after Gordon D’Arcy, Cian Healy, Jamie Heaslip and Jonathan Sexton were released back to Leinster from the IRFU player welfare programme.

Schmidt has plenty of options, however, after Kevin McLaughlin’s successful return from injury in the win over Connacht at the weekend. Eoin O’Malley also impressed in that game, as did wing David Kearney, with two tries, and fellow scorers Niall Morris and Fergus McFadden.

Friday’s game is a repeat of last year’s Grand Final, when Ospreys took the title in Ballsbridge. This time both side are chasing league leaders Munster, with Leinster third, one point ahead of this week’s opponents.