Munster are facing an anxious wait to see how long Craig Casey will be sidelined for, with the scrum-half set for knee surgery this week.
Casey suffered a meniscus injury in last weekend's Champions Cup loss at Castres.
The player, his province and his country will all hope the diagnosis is reasonably positive but it looks unlikely Casey will be fully recovered in time for Ireland's Six Nations opener against England at Aviva Stadium on 1 February. An injury of that nature would ordinarily rule a player out for around eight weeks.
Conor Murray remains unavailable as he recovers from an elbow injury.
Munster had other casualties in France as they prepare for Friday's URC clash at Ulster.
Winger Thaakir Abrahams suffered a shoulder dislocation and will undergo scans this week to determine if he requires surgery.
Peter O'Mahony will also be monitored over the next few days after he suffered a calf contusion.
Dian Bleuler came off against Castres after failing his HIA and is following the return to play protocols. He will not feature against Ulster, while Jean Kleyn is due to see a specialist to examine his injured thigh.
Watch Leinster v Connacht in the URC on Saturday from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport
Watch Connacht v Ulster in the URC on Saturday 28 December from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to live commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Saturday Sport
