British And Irish Lions Blow, As Caelan Doris Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
British And Irish Lions Blow, As Caelan Doris Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Ireland captain Caelan Doris may miss the Lions tour after a shoulder injury, with reports suggesting a 4-6 month layoff, though this remains unconfirmed.
Ireland captain Caelan Doris is in danger of missing this summer’s British and Irish Lions tour to Australia after Leinster confirmed the 27-year-old will undergo a procedure on a shoulder injury sustained in Saturday’s Champions Cup semifinal loss to the Northampton Saints.
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Leinster has not revealed the nature of the procedure or a specific recovery timeline, saying in a statement Monday that “the full extent of the injury, and implications for the summer, won’t be known until after the procedure.”
However, reports have speculated Doris could face between four and six months on the sidelines — though this has not been confirmed.
Doris, widely tipped as a potential Lions captain after taking over the Ireland armband last year, was forced off with a quarter of the match remaining.
Speaking on Monday, Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber expressed concern over the severity of the injury.
“He saw a specialist, and I think there’s some further investigation that needs to be done,” Nienaber said. “Fingers crossed that things aren’t as bad as we think, but when Caelan came off the pitch — and he’s not someone who comes off lightly — I feared it might be serious.”
Nienaber, who led South Africa to World Cup glory in 2023 before joining Leinster, noted that shoulder injuries can vary widely in recovery time.
“Depending on the structural damage, it can be anything from two months to four to six months,” he said.
The Lions begin their campaign against Argentina in Dublin on June 20, with the three-test series against Australia starting July 19 in Brisbane, followed by matches in Melbourne and Sydney.
Head coach Andy Farrell, who made Doris Ireland captain, will name his squad Thursday.
Doris was not selected for Warren Gatland’s Lions squad in 2021, but his form and leadership over the past year had made him a strong candidate — even for the captaincy, in competition with England’s Maro Itoje.
His potential absence would be a major blow for Farrell just 72 hours before his first squad announcement as Lions head coach.
The timeline for Doris’ recovery remains unclear, but Farrell will hope his skipper can follow a path similar to Dan Sheehan, who returned from a major knee injury in under six months earlier this season.
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