Henshaw joins growing Irish injury list for start of Six Nations

DUBLIN, Jan 21 : Robbie Henshaw will miss the start of the Six Nations, bringing to ten the number of Irish players ruled out for at least the tournament's opening games as Andy Farrell named a depleted squad on Wednesday.

Henshaw's team Leinster had said they would assess the experienced centre's knee injury ahead of their next game on Saturday. But Ireland confirmed he will join first-choice loosehead props Andrew Porter and Paddy McCarthy, along with long-term absentees Ryan Baird and Mack Hansen, on the sidelines.

Others on the fringes of the team - Calvin Nash Jimmy O'Brien, Cormac Izuchukwu, Shayne Bolton and Jordan Larmour - are also out.

The uncapped duo of Ulster scrumhalf Nathan Doak and Munster lock Edwin Edogbo were included in the 37-man panel that also saw recalls for Robert Baloucoune, Tom Stewart, Jeremy Loughman and flyhalf Harry Byrne, rewarded for his fine form challenging Sam Prendergast at Leinster.

Ireland open their campaign with a daunting February 5 trip to champions France, who handed Farrell's side a humbling 42-27 defeat last March that preceded a disappointing November series bookended by uninspiring losses to New Zealand and South Africa.

Farrell will also be sweating on the fitness of some players picked on Wednesday, including Hugo Keenan and Jamie Osborne, who have stepped up their recoveries from long-term injuries but are unavailable for Leinster this weekend.

Finlay Bealham, Tommy O'Brien and Tadhg Furlong are also on their way back from injury and part of the squad.

The absence of British and Irish Lion Porter and his impressive young understudy McCarthy leaves Ireland particularly exposed at loosehead prop, where Farrell's options are Jack Boyle, Loughman and Michael Milne, who have 11