This was not the start to the week Joe Schmidt would have been looking for.
We’re five days out from the first game of Ireland’s quest to make it three Six Nations titles in a row, but there are no signs yet that the injury problems that have plagued Joe Schmidt’s build up to the campaign are easing off.
The latest to head for the treatment table is Leinster’s versatile back Luke Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald, who was Ireland’s stand-out player in their World Cup quarter final exit to Argentina, sustained medial ligament damage to his knee and is out of action for six to eight weeks.
Team manager Mick Kearney revealed Fitzgerald was gutted to miss out on the championship. The injury was picked up during a tackling drill at Ireland’s open training session at the Aviva Stadium, last Friday, when Fitzgerald was running as a centre in a backline drill. Kearney said:
“[It was] a tackling drill at the Aviva, his foot just got caught in the grass and twisted his knee, so fairly innocuous and he’s unlucky to be out of the Six Nations, but I suppose it could have been worse.
“He was very upset to be honest and probably feared the worst. He’s had a very good run injury wise since the end of last season, had a great World Cup and was flying right up until the open session.”
Ireland will not be calling up a replacement for Fitzgerald this week but they may draft in another back ahead of the away date with France on February 13.
The contenders to replace Fitzgerald would be Garry Ringrose, Craig Gilroy, Fergus McFadden or Stuart Olding.
Fitzgerald joins Tommy Bowe, Iain Henderson and Marty Moore in being ruled out of the entire tournament, while Munster captain Peter O’Mahony is unlikely to feature.
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