Peter O'Mahony update with All Blacks clash around the corner for injured Munster star
Munster boss Graham Rowntree gives a full rundown on his casualty list ahead of the Reds' URC clash with Leinster at Croke Park
Peter O'Mahony is facing a race to be fit for Ireland's November international clash with New Zealand.
Munster star O'Mahony, who skippered Ireland last season, suffered a hamstring injury in the Reds' URC victory over Ospreys last Saturday.
After he was appointed as Leinster's new captain - and skippered Ireland in South Africa - Caelan Doris could be Andy Farrell's choice to lead the Test side in the Autumn series that kicks off against the All Blacks on Friday, November 8.
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O'Mahony is out of Munster's Croke Park showdown with Leinster on Saturday and out of the province's two-game trip to South Africa that follows.
Asked if he will make it back for the Ireland games, Reds boss Graham Rowntree said: "I don't know, November is a few weeks away.
"It's not months. We've had him scanned, there's a strain there which he's never had before. Typical O'Mahony! Weeks, not months, I can see him back in November."
Rowntree shrugged off talk of an injury crisis for the Reds ahead of the Croke Park clash that is coming close to a sellout, with 74,000 tickets now sold.
He expects Mike Haley to recover for Saturday evening's game after he suffered a leg injury against Ospreys and that would be a big boost, as Munster are thin on options in the back three.
Sean Jansen is also returning from the Emerging Ireland tour in time for the game to bolster that area, Alex Nankivell has recovered from a shoulder injury and can return at centre while Tom Ahern and Ruadhán Quinn could come into the pack in another boost to the visitors.
Billy Burns could be available, at a push, but Rowntree looks certain not to risk his summer signing from Ulster “Billy I’m not so hopeful on, I’ll be honest with you there and I certainly am not going to push it and bring him back when he’s not ready to come back," said Rowntree. "He's not too far off, Billy, but I don't want him to get another bang on that shoulder."
Rory Scannell, Shane Daly and Paddy Patterson are poised to return for Monday's trip to South Africa. But, along with O'Mahony, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Liam Coombes and Thaakir Abrahams will be out until November.
"Certainly everyone is due to be back on the deck by the end of November from the recent injuries," said the head coach. "Roman Salanoa will still be December-ish, but that's pretty much everyone back on deck within the next few weeks in my mind, and I'll hang onto that, and I've guys back this week and Tom is a big one and Ruadhán (Quinn), who has passed all his HIA protocols.
"But then you pick up Oli Jager at the weekend with his neck, we're still waiting for more opinions on that. I don't think we'll see him until we get back from South Africa.
"Josh Wycherley has got a neck injury as well, Mark Donnelly, suddenly you're hit in the prop department so we'll find out a bit about the younger props. We still have two diesel engines doing a great job for us, Steve (Archer) and John Ryan."
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