Nash and Wycherley returns set to boost Munster for Ospreys trip 

Diarmuid Barron has been ruled out after failing a HIA following Munster's victory over Gloucester

Calvin Nash has recovered from a shoulder injury suffered against Edinburgh in October. Pic: ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Munster could have Calvin Nash and Fineen Wycherley back in the selection mix for Saturday’s URC round seven trip to Ospreys with the duo set to return to full training this week, but Diarmuid Barron has been ruled out through injury.

Barron was the only fresh injury arising from last Saturday’s bonus-point Champions Cup pool win over Gloucester at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, having failed a post-match Head Injury Assessment following a second-half appearance off the bench. Yet while Barron enters his return to play protocols, Clayton McMillan’s hand is set to be boosted ahead of the Christmas run of games.

Monday’s squad update from the province confirmed Ireland wing Nash has recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained against Edinburgh in his season debut on October 10 while second row Wycherley’s cut hand at Bath nine days ago has healed sufficiently for him to return to training having missed his first game of the season against Gloucester.

McMillan is set to name his team to visit Bridgend’s Brewery Field on Saturday evening as Munster look to rebound from their round six defeat at home to the Stormers against an Ospreys side that sits 13th in the URC table. The Welsh region has one win and a draw from its opening half-dozen league matches but is coming off back-to-back Challenge Cup victories over Connacht and at Montauban.

It will be Munster’s final game before Christmas and precedes a couple of URC derbies, a sold-out Thomond Park clash with Leinster on Saturday, December 27 and a trip to Belfast to face Ulster on January 2.

Back-rower Brian Gleeson could be available for the Ulster fixture as he nears a full recovery from the elbow surgery he underwent following the fracture he sustained in the win over Leinster at Croke Park on October 18.

Speaking after the Gloucester victory in Cork, Munster’s head coach foresaw some squad rotation for this weekend and across the festive season as IRFU player welfare rules require some mandatory rest for Ireland internationals.

“The internationals are going to have to have a break over the next couple of weeks,” McMillan said following the 31-3 win.

“I'd probably get my head cut off if I decided that week was going to be the Leinster week, so there'll be a few that will miss out next week.

“There's a few guys that I think put their hand up (against Gloucester) that will make their selection easy but we select a team each week that we think has the capacity to go and win the game, and sometimes that'll mean very little changes, sometimes that will mean more than you would normally see.

“So definitely in a 10-game stretch, fourth game in, (there will be) some strategic thinking into who's going to play next week.”