Ireland trio Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen are in contention for Connacht's must-win game against the Cell C Sharks on Saturday.
Aki sat out the New Year’s Day defeat to Leinster as part of the IRFU player welfare programme but he could return to the midfield for the crucial BKT United Rugby Championship clash at the Sportsground, live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
Bealham and Hansen have returned to full training following illness, along with Josh Murphy, while Jack Aungier has recovered from a neck injury.
"The important thing for us is to work out how we manage Bundee across this next month," said Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins.
"He will be hoping he’s involved in that Six Nations group, we’re hoping he is too."
David Hawkshaw and Jarrad Butler will miss the Sharks game after suffering ankle and finger injuries respectively in the 41-12 loss at the RDS. The pair will undergo further assessment this week, while Adam Byrne has been ruled out for two weeks with a calf injury.
Connacht’s loss to Leinster in their final interpro of the season left them 13th in the URC table, eight points adrift of the play-offs.
The Sharks sit fifth, with two games in hand, and travel to Galway on the back of a five-game winning run. Four of those successes came in the searing Durban heat, and with rain and wind forecast for the Sportsground, Wilkins is hoping Connacht can take them out of their comfort zone.
Slick hands. Explosive power. 💥@SharksRugby on the hunt 🦈#BKTURC #URC | #SHAvBUL pic.twitter.com/8MzEwXfeVE
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) December 31, 2022
"It's a point of difference for us as a club in terms of where we play, the climate and set-up," he said.
"It is different to what a lot of other teams are used to, particularly those that come from overseas. We see it as an advantage to us. We relish playing in those conditions and in front of our fans.
"That is a weapon for us but also, we have got to ally that with what we do on the field. We have got to apply the pressure and take them out of their comfort zone in a rugby sense as well.
"Hopefully if we can get the best of both worlds, we’ll be in for a really good performance."
Connacht director of rugby Andy Friend spoke to RTÉ Sport after the loss to Leinster and said he believed his side were starting to click in attack
Meanwhile, Wilkins said contract negotiations were going on behind the scenes with players whose deals expire in the summer.
"These things always happen at different rates, depending on the club and player’s situation," said Wilkins. "That’s bubbling away for us, as well as it is for everyone else.
"There is always that subtext at this time of year, it doesn’t matter where you are, you have got to do your best to manage that and focus minds.
"Certainly the way the group is at the moment, there is no doubt we’re all aligned and working hard to achieve something."
Watch Connacht v Cell C Sharks live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player on Saturday from 4.45pm
