Already resigned to being without 11 players due to longer-term injuries, Munster appear reasonably optimistic that of the other seven players on the road to recovery, Joey Carbery, Peter O’Mahony and Niall Scannell should be in the mix for their crunch Champions Cup game away to Toulon next Saturday at the Stade Felix Mayol (kick-off 4.15pm local time/3.15pm Irish time).
“Well, we trained today and genuinely the likes of Joey Carbery and Peter O’Mahony looked good today, so hopefully things going well those two stick out at the moment,” said attack coach Mike Prendergast with regard to the departing Carbery and their former captain O’Mahony.
Carbery has been sidelined with a wrist injury since Munster’s second game of the season in the draw away to Benetton while O’Mahony has been restricted to just the first-half of the win at home to the Stormers in November due to a shoulder injury.
Prendergast added: “Niall Scannell trained today as well so hopefully those three [will be fit]. But you could come in on Thursday and it could be a different case. But when we blew the whistle at the end of training today, the three of them looked in good nick.
“So, it will be great to get the three boys back, their experience, great players. And just even them being around today, because there has been such a big block of games and so many injuries, we’ve been relying on the same players. So, to get three or four players would be huge, especially given their calibre.”
The availability of Oli Jager, who is continuing the return to play protocols after suffering a head injury in their New Year’s Day defeat against Connacht, Fineen Wycherley (shoulder), Alex Nankivell (ankle), and Patrick Campbell (shoulder) will be determined later in the week.
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