Leinster issue huge Caelan Doris update ahead of Nations Championship
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Sidelined.
Ireland have been handed a major injury concern ahead of the Nations Championship after Leinster issued an update on captain Caelan Doris.
Doris has been sidelined since suffering a foot injury during Leinster’s URC final victory over the Bulls in June, an issue which subsequently ruled him out of Ireland’s summer Nations Championship Tests against Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
The 28-year-old had also been managing a knee problem before the final and has since undergone procedures on both his foot and knee.
With the new club season approaching, Leinster boss Leo Cullen has now revealed that Doris’ recovery has been “slow” and said he does not expect his captain to return before November.
That timeline places a major question mark over his availability for Ireland’s Nations Championship fixtures later that month.
Asked whether Doris would be back in time, Cullen admitted the outlook had changed considerably in recent weeks.
“I don’t know at this point, is the honest answer,” Cullen said.
“If you’d asked me two weeks ago, I would have said yes. But now it would be uncertain.”
Doris initially suffered the foot injury just six minutes into Leinster’s 36-7 URC final victory over the Bulls at Croke Park, with Jack Conan replacing him.
The injury subsequently forced him to withdraw from Ireland’s summer squad, with Dan Sheehan taking over the captaincy for the opening Nations Championship fixtures.
Ireland will now be hoping Doris’ recovery accelerates over the coming weeks, with his availability for the November leg of the Nations Championship currently uncertain.
