Ireland and Munster wing Keith Earls has been ruled out for up to eight weeks with a medial ligament injury he sustained in the Heineken Cup win over Edinburgh last weekend.

The back was due to join up with the Ireland camp ahead of the Six Nations last Sunday but, having been replaced just 25 minutes into the game at Thomond Park on Saturday, he was unable to travel.

A test on Monday and a subsequent meeting with a specialist on Wednesdayconfirmed the winger will be out for between six and eight weeks and will, therefore, miss the Six Nations with a view to returning in time to face Toulouse in the European Cup quarter-final at Thomond Park in early April.

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt called Munster's Simon Zebo and Ulster's Craig Gilroy into the squad earlier in the week as cover, with the latter today named in the Wolfhounds side to take on England Saxons in Gloucester on Saturday, and the former named on the bench.