Farrell ruled out for Munster clash with Castres but hope for Carbery return
Munster will be without Chris Farrell for their Heineken Champions Cup trip to Castres this weekend after the Ireland centre was ruled out with a thigh injury on Tuesday.
Farrell had been forced to withdraw from last Sunday’s home pool game against the French champions when he pulled up with a thigh strain during the warm-up, forcing a last-minute reshuffle in the Munster backline as Sammy Arnold was promoted from the bench and Jaco Taute called into the matchday squad.
Munster went on to beat Castres 30-5 at Thomond Park and head coach Johann van Graan must plan without Farrell for the return, round four fixture on Saturday after confirming the centre would not make the team plane for the trip to southern France due to a quadriceps muscle strain.
“Chris won't be available for this weekend,” van Graan said on Tuesday.
We're sending him for further tests, but I don't think he'll be available for this weekend... It doesn't seem to be 'a few days' thing.
The Munster boss said there was more optimism for the chances of Joey Carbery facing the French side this weekend, the fly-half having also been a late withdrawal for the round three game citing a tight hamstring.
“Joey we'll make a decision on later in the week, I think he's got a chance of making it.”
And van Graan also gave flanker Chris Cloete the green light after revealing the openside had been replaced during the second half after passing his Head Injury Assessment.
“He was taken off with a HIA, he passed it straight away, we were going to put Arno (Botha) on in any case.
"So I didn't put him back on the field.”
Cloete’s fellow number seven Tommy O’Donnell was among a quintet of Munster men announced as beginning their “reintegration to team training” on Tuesday.
Joining O’Donnell back on the training field are props Stephen Archer and Liam O’Connor, second row Jean Kleyn and full-back Stephen Fitzgerald.
