Full-back Hugo Keenan has returned home from Ireland’s Six Nations training camp in Portugal after sustaining a fractured thumb.
Keenan, who has established himself as Ireland’s first-choice full-back over the past few seasons, had been expected to return during the championship from the hip injury which has kept him on the sidelines since the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia in the summer.
Ireland are currently in Portugal preparing for their Six Nations opener against France in Paris on 5 February before facing Italy at the Aviva Stadium on 14 February.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell is yet to name a replacement for the 29-year-old Leinster player, who has won 46 caps for Ireland and scored 13 tries.
When Keenan was absent for the autumn series in November, Jamie Osborne and Mack Hansen started two games each.
Osborne has not played since the game against Japan that month because of a shoulder injury, but was named by Farrell in last week’s initial squad announcement, while Hansen is currently out with a foot problem.
Jacob Stockdale and Ciaran Frawley have played at 15 plenty of times for Ulster and Leinster respectively this season, while there is also the option to deploy one of the squad’s three fly-halves, most likely Sam Prendergast or Jack Crowley, in the position.
News of Keenan’s injury follows the announcement that Bundee Aki did not travel to the training camp following a ‘disciplinary issue’.
Aki faces an independent disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.
Keenan’s latest setback is the third injury issue since Farrell named a 37-man squad for the Six Nations on 21 January with prop Jack Boyle and Tom Ahern also having withdrawn.
Ulster pair Cormac Izchukwu and Jude Postlethwaite, and Connacht prop Billy Bohan, have been added to the panel.
