Stephen Ferris, Rory Best and Chris Henry will all miss Ulster’s Saturday night RaboDirect Pro12 clash with Munster at Thomond Park.
Flanker Henry, a constant thorn in the side of Munster when Ulster won the Heineken Cup quarter-final clash between these teams 16-22, misses out with an ankle sprain.
Ireland internationals Ferris and Best, both also highly influential in the last meeting, are rested with Ulster’s preparations for the Heineken Cup final against Leinster on 19 May seemingly already underway.
Hooker Andi Kyriacou also misses out with a neck injury.
Scrum-half Paul Marshall, who has recently struggled with an arm injury, is named in the extended squad.
Ireland Under-20s forwards Iain Henderson (lock) and Niall Annett (hooker) have been brought into the squad as cover.
The clash is unlikely to affect the battle for play-off places in the RaboDirect Pro12.
Sixth-placed Ulster are five points behind current fourth-placed team Glasgow Warriors. The Warriors meet Connacht at Firhill this week and look primed to retain the last of the qualifying places.
Losses to Leinster last week and to Connacht the week before have cost them the chance to be involved at the business end of the league season, unless Glasgow slip up and they can secure a bonus point victory in Limerick.
If Munster win they are likely to meet the Ospreys at Liberty Stadium in the Pro12 semi-final with Glasgow facing Leinster in the other semi.
