Caelan Doris could face up to six months out of action after his hopes of British and Irish lions were destroyed by a shoulder injury.
Ireland No 8 had been a main contender to be appointed captain of the Quadrienal tourists by chief coach Andy Farrell before suffering the injury in the defeat of the semifinal of the Champions Cup Investte of Leinster to Northampton.
The 27 -year -old under surgery on Friday, one day after Maro Itjeje was confirmed as the patron of the Los Leones team, and now faces a shape in the international of November after a bitter blow.
His Dublin club confirmed in a statement: “Caelan Doris had a procedure on Friday last week for a shoulder injury that will keep him out of action for between four and six months.”
Doris was a very safe tourist from Australia before the most cruel setbacks that arise as a pillar of consistency in Ireland on Farrell’s back in the last four years.
No 8 had started 40 of the last 43 tests of his national team, which put him in a strong position to compete for the captain with England Lock Iteje.
In the absence of Doris, Farrell has chosen to take a colleague of clubs and countries in Jack Conan and Ben Earl as its main options in the back of the Scrum, with Jac Morgan, Henry Pollock and Tom Curry also had occasionally appeared in the position.
“As you can imagine, he is devastated,” Farrell said last week after talking to Doris after his injury. “I would definitely have a leg in the mixture, such an experienced player and leader.
“It is devastating for people like that. But the stories are constant in each tour and sport can sometimes be cruel sometimes. But they will become bigger and stronger.”
