Munster sweat on Loughman as quartet step up recovery ahead of Leinster game

Lee Barron, Shane Daly, Edwin Edogbo and Will Harrison are all increasing their training load ahead of the clash with Leinster

Loosehead prop Jeremy Loughman's availability to face Leinster will be determined later in the week. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile

Munster have injury concerns at loosehead prop ahead of Saturday’s URC trip to Leinster after revealing Jeremy Loughman was being assessed for a knee injury following the Champions Cup win over Racing 92.

With fellow Ireland international cap Michael Milne also currently sidelined with an ankle injury, head coach Clayton McMillan’s resources are potentially stretched. Loughman was removed in what had seemed to be a tactical substitution alongside starting prop Jack Aungier after 57 minutes of the Racing encounter in Cork with McMillan reporting no injuries to his matchday squad following the 33-25 pool victory.

Yet Tuesday’s squad update said Loughman’s availability for the Aviva Stadium derby this weekend was to be determined later this week.

Milne and hooker Diarmuid Barron (neck), both of whom missed the European fixture, were in the same update described as “continuing to recover from their injuries” but there was a slightly more optimistic note to the status given to a quartet of other players.

Hooker Lee Barron (ankle), back-three player Shane Daly (groin), lock Edwin Edogbo (shoulder) and fly-half/full-back Will Harrison (knee) were said to be all “increasing their training load with availability to be determined later this week”.

Lock Fineen Wycherley, was reported as having made a successful, try-scoring return from a shoulder injury having come off the bench against Racing.