Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has ruled his captain and full back Isa Nacewa out of Sunday afternoon's European Champions Cup game against Wasps.
The province announced on Sunday morning that Nacewa jarred his knee during a training session on Tuesday but was given every chance of making the team to face Wasps. Unfortunately having taken only a limited part in the captain’s run at the RDS on Saturday, he has not recovered sufficiently to take to the field today.
Leinster are already without the injured Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney and Ben Te’o, with a patched-together feel about the back division even before the captain’s withdrawal.
Nacewa's place in the starting XV will be taken by Ian Madigan, with Cathal Marsh coming onto the bench. Jamie Heaslip will captain the side from number eight.
Madigan played at full back in the corresponding fixture last season scoring ten points from the boot, while Marsh is in line to win his first European cap from the bench having played in six of the seven Guinness Pro12 games this season, scoring one try in the process.
As a result the Leinster team in full now reads:
LEINSTER: I Madigan; Z Kirchner, F McFadden, N Reid, D Kearney; J Sexton, E Reddan; J McGrath, R Strauss, M Ross, D Toner, M McCarthy, J Murphy, S O' Brien, J Heaslip(captain). Replacements: S Cronin, C Healy, T Furlong, H Triggs, J Conan, L McGrath, C Marsh, G Ringrose.
