Kidney faces injury dilemma

CHRISTIAN CULLEN and Anthony Horgan are definitely ruled out of the early games in Munster’s Heineken Cup campaign, but medical bulletins indicate both should be back in a month.

Cullen’s shoulder injury is not as serious as first feared, while Horgan has had a bit of “dust” hoovered out of his knee cartilage.

Munster coach Declan Kidney has named a panel of 25 for Friday’s Magners League clash with Edinburgh at Thomond Park (7.30pm), and a leg injury suffered by Alan Quinlan against Leinster last weekend should not be a problem. He is included in the group alongside Munster’s latest signing, Portuguese international centre/winger Diogo Mateus. Shaun Payne is also back in the reckoning, along with John Hayes.

New Zealand signing Lifiemi Mafi is due to arrive in Ireland tomorrow and will be given an immediate medical.

He has agreed a two-year contract and if he passes the medical will be added to the squad as a ‘wild card’ selection. That would force Kidney to release a squad member already named.

Meanwhile, Ulster’s inspirational fly-half David Humphreys will be fit for Saturday afternoon’s important Magners League clash with the high-flying Cardiff Blues at Ravenhill.

Humphreys was dumped with a spear tackle by Connacht replacement Ted Robinson and had to be helped off the field in the 67th minute with neck and shoulder problems.

However, after physiotherapy at the weekend, Humphreys is expected to participate in training today after the squad were given Monday off due to the eight-day turnaround in fixtures.

“He’s fine,” said a spokesperson. “The tackle was bad and he could have been seriously injured. He’s a little stiff around the neck, but he has plenty of time to be fit for Saturday’s game.”

Coach Mark McCall, who will announce his side on Wednesday and hopes to have injured trio Mark Bartholomeusz, Tommy Bowe and Paul Steinmetz back in action again after missing the win over Connacht which projected Ulster back to the top of the league.

McCall was not amused by the tackle which could have seen Humphreys sidelined for a long period.

“At the time I thought that the tackle probably hadn’t been intentional but when you watch it on video it is extremely poor,” said McCall.

“In the Celtic League, once he has been dealt with by the official, nothing else can happen then. It is not like the European Cup when an independent citing commissioner can take further action.

“We wouldn’t be in the habit of citing too often but in this case had he not been yellow-carded, we would have certainly cited.”

Ulster’s opening Heineken Cup Pool 5 clash with Toulouse at Ravenhill on Saturday, October 21 will be an all-ticket game with the likelihood of a capacity 12,500 crowd.

MUNSTER (from): J. Manning, I. Dowling, J. Kelly, T. Halstead, T. O’Leary, R. O’Gara, P. Stringer, M. Horan, F. Sheahan, F. Puciariello, D. O’Callaghan, P. O’Connell, A. Quinlan, A. Foley, D. Wallace. D. Leamy, T. Ryan, A. Kyriacou, M. O’Driscoll, T. McGann, E. Hickey, B. Murphy, D. Mateous, S. Payne, J. Hayes.