Midfield crisis.

Leinster will be without their captain Isa Nacewa for this weekend’s derby clash with Munster at the Aviva Stadium and their Champions Cup opener the weekend after against Montpellier at the RDS.

Nacewa suffered a calf strain in Leinster’s defeat to the Cheetahs in South Africa, and was originally slated for return this weekend against Munster, but now looks set to miss the next two weeks out at least according to a report in The Irish Times.

Robbie Henshaw was expected to return the weekend against Edinburgh, but Cullen reckons he will have him back for the Munster game, at least for a cameo. Nacewa’s absence leaves Cullen down to his bare bones in the centre, where the captain has been deployed recently.

Garry Ringrose is a long-term causality, and with Tom Daly also out and Noel Reid picking up a head injury against Edinburgh – Cullen was forced to finish the game on Friday with academy winger Jordan Larmour partnering Rory O’Loughlin in the centre.

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