John Hodnett set for surgery as Munster rule out four for Ospreys clash

Munster's John Hodnett in action against Dragons at Rodney Parade earlier this month. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Munster’s preparations for Sunday’s home Guinness PRO14 clash with Ospreys at Thomond Park have been disrupted by the loss of four players, one of them to a positive Covid-19 test.

The province issued an unscheduled squad update on Friday morning with the most serious fitness blow falling on academy back-row John Hodnett, who faces an extended spell on the sidelines after sustaining an Achilles tendon injury that will require surgery early next week.

Hodnett, 21, had featured in three of the last four Munster games as Johann van Graan’s squad has made an unbeaten start to the new Guinness PRO14 campaign with four wins from four before last weekend’s trip to Treviso in Italy to face Benetton was postponed due to a number of Covid-19 cases within their club.

The West Cork player had started the last two matches, against Cardiff Blues and Dragons at openside flanker and his absence adds to the loss of another seven in Chris Cloete, ruled out with a neck injury.

Also ruled out on Friday were wing Liam Coombes, who has suffered a minor hamstring injury, and centre Alex McHenry who has undergone surgery on a thumb injury and has been ruled for “the coming weeks”, according to Munster.

The fourth player to be ruled is an unnamed senior squad member who returning a positive test result from Monday’s regular round of PCR testing. Munster said the player was self-isolating but remains well and no other players had been identified as close contacts.

Training and preparations for Sunday’s game have continued as normal at Munster’s High Performance Centre in Limerick.