By Derek Foley

Copyright irishmirror

Hugo Keenan will miss Ireland’s November series internationals having been sent for a post-Lions operation that will keep him sidelined until the New Year.

While Joe McCarthy and Caelan Doris are extremely doubtful although it is hoped they will have returned to club rugby at some point during the month.

“Hugo he had surgery following the Lions tour, and that’s with a hip issue that had been bothering him prior to that. He’s making steady progress but probably won’t feature until the New Year,” confirmed Leo Cullen at Leinster’s Greystones open training session today.

“Joe picked up an injury during the tour. He’s aggravated it a little bit, that’s an issue with his foot,”

“He’ll feature at some point, I’m not exactly sure when, but he won’t probably feature for Leinster in that first block of games leading into November.

“Two players, very experienced in recent times for us and we’ll help them and get them right, otherwise a lot of the Lions crew who were there in Australia have integrated pretty seamlessly into the group.

“We’ll get them up and running pre-November and while we have yet to decide on Caelan Doris, he’ll be in and around November.

“He’s making good progress from the shoulder surgery towards the tail end of last season. He’s worked hard, but again, around November.”

As it stands, Leinster will leave their 2025 Lions at home but bring their Ireland summer internationals to South Africa for their URC opening games against Stormers and Bulls

“The ten who were with Ireland will travel but the Lions guys will wait for round three and four. We understand it’s a very challenging start to the season, because there’s so many moving parts.

“Even trying to plan training sessions last week. That’s day six session today, so it looks a bit better than it did on Monday but you can see people coming and going.

“So you’re starting the session a little bit later to allow the main session to still be the main session.

“Ultimately, what we’re charged with as coaches is trying to get ready for the next game, the next game being against the Stormers next Friday.”

Meanwhile Cullen confirmed that Lansdowne prop Jerry Cahir will be staying with the squad following signing a short-term deal.

“Yeah, Jerry is with us for a while, he’s signed a three-month contract.

“Jerry’s come in during pre-season, he’s gone well during the course of the last season with Lansdowne, came in and played an A game towards the tail end of last season as well. A couple of A games against Ulster. He’s been good. He’s a great story.

“Joshua Kenny and Joshua Ericson, they’ll go back and play club, they’re both slightly different. They fall under a slightly younger cohort. They’re in with Simon Broughton and the Academy gang.”

It is the first time Leinster have opened their season with an away South African double-header.

“I wouldn’t say we necessarily will be glad to have it behind you. We enjoy the trips but there’s a logistical challenge to them at different stages of the season.

“Last year it came straight away after the Six Nations. There’s a lot of moving parts. You’re not quite sure who’s sitting where.

“There’s the clear group that will have to play the four or five games during the Six Nations, or certainly the first three games, because as you’re booking names into flights, we think X, Y and Z are going to be still playing with Ireland.

“But then there’s a few guys who haven’t played a huge amount, so they fall between the cracks.”