Injuries taking their toll

IRELAND’S hectic November schedule is taking its toll.

Injuries suffered against the All Blacks have already ruled three of Declan Kidney’s players out of Sunday’s final Test against Argentina while half a dozen others were wrapped in cotton wool for yesterday’s training session.

Rory Best is set to miss six to eight weeks after surgery to insert small plates in his fractured cheekbone while Rob Kearney underwent exploratory surgery on his knee on Monday. A full diagnosis is still to be revealed but it is believed the Leinster full-back could miss up to ten weeks while Luke Fitzgerald is out for four to six weeks having suffered a Grade Two medial ligament tear in the game against New Zealand.