Ireland coach Declan Kidney may have to call on his back-up frontrow to face Australia in the first of the autumn internationals against Australia on Sunday week, with doubts persisting over the fitness of prop Marcus Horan and hooker Jerry Flannery.

Though it is not yet clear as to the precise nature of the ailment or injury that has sidelined Horan, he remains the primary fitness concern, while Flannery had a setback this week in his bid to recover from the calf tear sustained in his only start of the season against Northampton.

With fellow hooker Rory Best out for the season and prop John Hayes due back from suspension on the eve of the game, there remains a distinct possibility that Cian Healy, Seán Cronin and one from Mike Ross and Tom Court could be thrown in at the deep end against the Wallabies.

Kidney insisted today he will know more about Horan's condition on Friday. The Munster man left the pitch 17 minutes into the Heineken Cup win over Treviso two-and-a-half weeks ago, feeling feint and dizzy.

Elsewhere, Kidney has no other major concerns, though Brian O'Driscoll, Rob Kearney and Gordon D'Arcy were restricted to non-contact work in Limerick today.

Leo Cullen is also carrying a minor knock and David Wallace will hopefully resume training tomorrow.

Unsurprisingly, O'Driscoll has retained the captaincy after guiding Ireland to a Grand Slam last year.

"He’s motoring well at the moment so for a whole host of reasons it was appropriate to stay with him,” said Kidney.