Injury concerns for Ireland ahead of Bok Test

Ireland could be without three key backline players for next month's Test against the Springboks in Dublin.

According to Irish publication, The42, Leinster trio James Lowe, Hugo Keenan and Jamison Gibson-Park are all in a race against time to prove their fitness for the Test on 5 November.

The three stalwarts are yet to feature for Leinster in the URC this season, with Ireland head coach Andy Farrell due to name his squad for the November Tests later this week.

The report states that outside back Keenan is the closest of the three to return to fitness, as he is set to step up his rehabilitation from knee and abdominal injuries.

However, winger Lowe (calf) and scrumhalf Gibson-Park (hamstring) are further away from being declared fit.

"They're all getting very close," Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster told reporters in Ireland on Monday. "Now they've trained in bits and pieces with the squad, but they are moving definitely in the right direction.

"It's going to be up to Andy as to whether he brings them into the squad and runs them out in November, or waits for them to train and get robust enough and confident enough in the training to be able to put them in games, or wait until after they've come back to play for Leinster. But they're close."

Ireland will also be without the services of flanker Will Connors, who is out for three months with a bicep injury, as well as hooker Ronan Kelleher and flyhalf Harry Byrne.

Lancaster confirmed that No 8 Jack Conan (eye), lock James Ryan (knee) and loose forward Josh van der Flier (ankle) will also require "further assessments".

After the Bok Test, Ireland also play Fiji (12 November) and Australia (19 November) in Dublin.