Luke Fitzgerald injury adds to Joe Schmidt's woes

Joe Schmidt’s already compromised selection options dwindled further yesterday, just five days before Ireland’s Six Nations opener at home to Wales, with confirmation that injury has erased Luke Fitzgerald from his plans for the tournament’s entirety.

Fitzgerald, who suffered the injury last Friday when his foot got caught in the turf during the squad’s open training session at the Aviva Stadium, will be inactive for somewhere between six and eight weeks and he is just the latest player to be prevented from featuring in the championship.

Peter O’Mahony, Iain Henderson, Marty Moore, and Tommy Bowe are the others preparing to look on from the stands this next two months due to injury while Moore’s fellow Leinster props, Mike Ross and Cian Healy, are unavailable for Sunday’s opener against Wales at the least.