Rob Kearney is a major doubt for Ireland's World Cup opener against Scotland, with the Leinster man struggling to shake off an injury.
Ireland will get their tournament underway in Yokohama on Sunday morning, with the game against the Scots likely to be their biggest test during the pool stage. Robbie Henshaw will miss that game due to a hamstring injury, while Keith Earls is also likely to be ruled out due to a knee problem.
You can now add Rob Kearney to that list, with multiple sources saying the player is struggling with a calf issue.
Ireland have struggled at full back in Kearney's absence, with performances such as Robbie Henshaw against England in this year's Six Nations and Jordan Larmour against Argentina last November as two of the most recent examples.
With Will Addison not making the plane, Larmour will likely start in Kearney's stead for the opener.
Ireland will no doubt be hoping to start their campaign with a convincing victory, and momentum is key in World Cups. The fixtures are favourable in that Joe Schmidt's side will face their toughest tests in the first two games, meaning plenty of opportunity for recovery before a potential quarter final against South Africa or New Zealand.
Joe Schmidt will have a press conference tomorrow morning at 1am Irish time where more light should be shed on the Kearney situation.
