MUNSTER’S INJURY concerns continue to mount as they gear up for this weekend’s Magners League clash against the Ospreys at Thomond Park.

Nick Williams is the latest casualty, having injured his groin against Connacht on Sunday and he joins Paul O’Connell, Keith Earls (both groin), Doug Howlett (hamstring) and Ian Dowling (knee) on the sidelines.

Williams, Howlett, and Dowling are all expected to be fit and available for the Heineken Cup semi-final against Biarritz the following week, but the situation regarding O’Connell and Earls is less clear.

Neither will take a full part in training this week and though team manager Shaun Payne is hopeful they will have recovered, he accepts a cut-off point will come into effect next week if they are still unable to train.

“It’s a case of wait and see,” he says. “Obviously, they are doing some rehab work, but the flip side is that they can’t be on their feet in training all week because they’ll flare the injury up. There is obviously a situation where there will be a cut-off point – we need them training. They can’t go into a game with any preparation at all. So that is something we have to take into consideration.”

Denis Hurley comes into Tony McGahan’s 27-man squad having recovered from a hamstring injury, while Tony Buckley is also included, though he looked uncomfortable at training yesterday as he nursed the knee injury he picked up against Connacht.

With the prospect of air travel still uncertain, meanwhile, Munster officials have been busy this week looking into alternative ways of getting themselves to San Sebastian, should the need arise.

The Ospreys, also, have been making alternative arrangements so as to ensure they arrive in Limerick on time ahead of Saturday’s clash. “We’re still hoping to that our flights will go ahead,” said media manager Peter Owen, “but we have our places booked on the ferry just in case.”

Saturday’s match at Thomond Park will form the second part of a double header which sees Anthony Foley’s A team line up against the Ulster Ravens in the semi-final of the British and Irish Cup.

A provisional 23-man squad has been named for the clash but there are several players in McGahan’s senior squad who could drop down when numbers are cut on Friday.

“There is a bit of marrying to go on there,” says Foley, “but we all work in the same building, so it should be easy enough.”

MUNSTER SQUAD(v Ospreys): Forwards: A Quinlan, B Holland, D Varley, D Foley, D Ryan, D Wallace, D O'Callaghan, J Coughlan, J Flannery, J Hayes, J Brugnaut, M Horan, M O'Driscoll, N Ronan, P O'Mahony, T Buckley. Backs; D Barnes, D Hurley, J de Villiers, L Mafi, P Warwick, P Stringer, R O'Gara, S Deasy, S Zebo, T Gleeson, T O'Leary.

MUNSTER BI CUP SQUAD(v Ulster Ravens): B O'Hara, C Murray, D Kilcoyne, D O'Callaghan, D Cusack, D Williams, E Kelly, E Grace, G Quinn McDonagh, I Nagle, J Manning, L O'Dea, D Maloney, M Kelliher, M Sherry, M Lawlor, P O'Regan, P Butler, R O'Mahony, S Henry, S Scanlon, S Archer, T O'Donnell.