Full-back Hugo Keenan will miss Ireland’s autumn fixtures after undergoing hip surgery following the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia.
The 29-year-old Leinster player, who had been suffering with the issue prior to the Lions’ victorious series against the Wallabies, is expected to remain sidelined until early next year.
Ireland face New Zealand on Saturday, November 1 in Chicago before hosting Japan, Australia and world champions South Africa on the following three weekends in Dublin.
Lock Joe McCarthy is a doubt for those games due to a foot injury sustained during the Lions’ 2-1 tour win.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen, speaking to RTE, said of Keenan: “He had surgery post Lions tour, and that’s with a hip issue that had been bothering him prior to that.
“He’s making steady progress but probably won’t feature until the new year.”
Ireland captain Caelan Doris appears to have an outside chance of featuring in November after his Lions hopes were ruined by a shoulder injury suffered during Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton in May.
“He’ll be in and around November,” Cullen said of Doris. “He’s making good progress from the shoulder surgery towards the tail end of last season.”