Coughlan facing prospect of three months out with groin tear

Munster loss in Ulster could potentially be even more costly than the loss of points should James Coughlan’s groin injury be as serious as is feared.

Coughlan tore his groin in the build-up to Keith Earls’ try in Ravenhill and the worry now is that he has suffered a Grade Three tear of this groin, an injury that can take up to three months to fully recover and rehab from.

If the injury is as serious as is feared, then Coughlan will almost certainly be ruled out of the Munster’s opening two Heineken Cup rounds – away to Racing Metro and at home to Edinburgh – next month.

He will also miss the Leinster/Munster game in the Aviva Stadium on October 6.

It is hoped that Coughlan’s injury is at the lower end of the Grade Three scale and that he is facing a lay-off of between four and six weeks, which would see him return to the side around November and, hopefully, ahead of the back-to-back games against Saracens in December.

His absence in the immediate term, though, is a massive set-back for the player and for Munster ahead of what could be the defining month of their season.

The likelihood is that Peter O’Mahony will slot in at the base of the scrum when he returns, but that is not expected to be until Munster’s away game against Ospreys. He is now not expected to be released back for this weekend’s home game.

Simon Zebo, though, is set to be back in the fold for the home game in Thomond Park next Saturday night (8pm) and will, in all probability, start the game off the bench as the internationals continue their reintegration with no further news on a likely return for Paul O’Connell as yet.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper.