Connacht's Colm Reilly ruled out for 12 weeks with ankle injury

Connacht have received mixed news on the injury front ahead of Friday night's meeting with Bordeaux-Begles in the Investec Champions Cup.

While Bundee Aki is available to make his first appearance of the season after overcoming a hamstring injury, there's bad news for scrum-half Colm Reilly who has been sidelined for up to three months.

Reilly, who played in each of the province's first six games of the season, missed Saturday's defeat to Leinster with an ankle injury.

The 24-year-old has since had surgery on the issue, with the province estimating it will rule him out for up to 12 weeks.

It leaves head coach Pete Wilkins short on numbers at scrum-half, with Michael McDonald the only senior option left to back-up the first choice Caolin Blade.

Aki's availability had already been confirmed for this Friday night's Champions Cup at the Sportsground, while Gavin Thornbury and Shayne Bolton are both available to feature for the first time this season after overcoming respective knee and hamstring injuries.

Tiernan O'Halloran and Oisin Dowling are doubts for the visit of the French side, with O'Halloran having been replaced in the first half of Saturday's defeat to Leinster with a foot injury, while second row Dowling picked up a shoulder injury.

Watch Munster v Bayonne in the Champions Cup on Saturday from 4.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on www.rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app or listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.