Back in action.

The Ulster Rugby medical team have issued a squad update, ahead of their Guinness PRO14 Round 6 fixture versus provincial rivals Connacht at Kingspan Stadium on Friday.

The good news is the province have been boosted by the return of Rory Best, Jacob Stockdale and Sean Reidy – who all now available for selection after recovering from recent injuries.  John Cooney sustained a scalp laceration against Munster but he is expected to be fit to face Connacht on Friday evening.

Meanwhile – Marcell Coetzee (shoulder), Will Addison (back) and Michael Lowry (shoulder) are recovering well from recent injuries and will continue to be assessed throughout the week. Iain Henderson suffered a concussion during the Munster match and will follow Return to Play protocols.

Darren Cave fractured his thumb in the same fixture and had surgery on Monday. He is expected to return to play within eight weeks. Wiehahn Herbst had surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn adductor tendon sustained in the recent game against the Cheetahs.

The current injury list also includes:

Peter Browne (concussion)
David Busby (knee)
Rob Herring (toe)
Louis Ludik (hamstring)
Rob Lyttle (knee)
Luke Marshall (knee)
Kyle McCall (elbow)
Marty Moore (calf)
Jordi Murphy (ankle)
Tommy O’Hagan (ankle)
Jack Owens (concussion)
Henry Speight (knee)