Ireland's Jack Conan will miss the clash against Tonga this Saturday but is expected to be ready for the game against South Africa on September 23. The Leinster star has not played since August 5 when he injured his foot in the warm-up game against Italy.
Ireland team manager Mick Kearney confirmed the news on Wednesday, saying, “Jack was out running, which was a real positive."
Kearney also added, "While Saturday will come a little bit early for him, I think the signs are really positive in terms of being able to train fully next week, and hopefully he will be available for South Africa. It’s his first on-field session in the last few days, so he has been doing most of his rehab in the gym with the physios.
"Today was obviously a significant day for him in terms of getting out and running. He ran really well, which is really positive, and he was in a good place afterwards.”
Ireland manager Mick Kearney says Jack Conan won’t feature against Tonga.
He was back running on the pitch today and they’re hoping he’ll be fit for the South Africa game.
Dan Sheehan, Robbie Henshaw, and Dave Kilcoyne all trained fully today.
Massive to have Sheehan back.
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) September 13, 2023
However, there is good news for the likes of Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne, and Robbie Henshaw. The trio has returned to full training ahead of Ireland's clash in Nantes. Hooker Sheehan is also recovering from a foot injury, while prop Kilcoyne had a groin issue, and inside center Henshaw was a late withdrawal from the bench for last weekend's opening win over Romania as a precaution due to a hamstring problem.
“They were all integrated fully into training today, and all trained fully, so that’s positive as well," added Kearney.
Ireland's team against Tonga in Nantes will be named tomorrow afternoon.
Ireland's game against Tonga will kick off at 8:00pm (9:00pm local time) on Saturday night. The game can be watched live on ITV (UK) and RTÉ (ROI).
