Ireland lose captain Doris and hooker Kelleher through injury for Wales game

Ireland will be without captain Caelan Doris and hooker Ronan Kelleher for this weekends Six Nations clash with Wales due to injury, and prop Tadhg Furlong is also still unavailable for selection.

Doris picked up a knee injury in Irelands most recent match, a 32-18 win in Scotland, and the number eight will miss an Ireland game for the first time since 2021 having made 42 consecutive appearances.

Its an amazing stat, its credit to him and the form he has been in the last few years, but there are guys ready to go, assistant coach Andrew Goodman said on Tuesday.

We have got great cover at eight and Im sure the guy that fills that jersey will do a great job.

Jack Conan is the most likely candidate to replace Doris, and the 32-year-old could also be in line to captain the side against Wales.

I am sure you guys can probably pick a few names out. Guys like Peter OMahony and Jack Conan that have captained their provinces, Goodman added.

Dan Sheehan has, Garry Ringrose, James Ryan, Cian Prendergast, there are a number of guys with leadership experience, so a few possibilities there.

Sheehan looks set to come in for Kelleher, having come off the bench in Irelands last two games after his return from a knee injury, while Finlay Bealham should continue at tighthead in place of Furlong.

Kelleher has been ruled out because of a neck injury, and Furlong, who missed Irelands two opening Six Nations wins, continues to recover from a calf injury.

All unavailable for this week, Goodman said.

We are hoping they will be available for France. They are just going through their processes with the physio but they are all making good progress.

Ireland, Six Nations champions last year and Grand Slam