Henderson 'on schedule' for URC opener - Murphy

Henderson was sidelined in May after having toe surgery

Ulster head coach Richie Murphy expects to have "close to a full deck" at his disposal for the start of the United Rugby Championship season later this month.

Ulster host Benetton in a pre-season friendly on Saturday (17:00 BST) as preparations continue for the curtain-raiser against URC champions Glasgow Warriors on 21 September.

Murphy, at the helm for his first pre-season with the northern province after being appointed earlier this year, says there is a "nice feel around" with new arrivals and returning players set to bolster his squad.

"From an injury point of view, we’re actually improving quite a lot," said Murphy.

"Iain Henderson is on schedule to be ready for that first URC game and is moving in the right direction, as are a number of the other guys from the back end of last year.

"[We're] very close to a full deck. Jake Flannery has just ruptured a tendon in his finger so he’ll miss a couple of weeks, there’s one or two other niggles like that but in general terms we have a pretty full deck to pick from.

Captain Henderson, who is entering his 15th season with the club, ended the last campaign requiring toe surgery and missed Ireland's summer tour of South Africa.

The arrivals of Ireland sevens star Zac Ward and former New Zealand under-20s player Aidan Morgan have also brought a sense of optimism for the Ulster faithful.

Fly-half Morgan, 23, joined Ulster from Super Rugby Pacific side Hurricanes in May as a replacement for the Munster-bound Billy Burns.

"[Aidan] has been great," Murphy added.

"Our game over here is quite different to theirs at Super Rugby level, so he’s adjusted pretty quickly and fitted in very well.

"He's very much part of the team, great attitude, works really hard and his skill set is very good, very quick, very sharp on his feet, good passer, sees the space well, so there is things that he’s working on in his game but he’s shown us plenty so far."

Morgan (left) and Ward are both available for Ulster's pre-season friendly against Benetton

'There's no expectation on Ward'

Ward has joined the province's senior men's squad for an extended trial until the autumn international window.

The Ballynahinch native, who represented Ireland at the Olympics in Paris this summer, was named the men's sevens players' player of the year at the Rugby Players Ireland awards in Dublin earlier this year.

"Zac has always had an interest in getting back into the 15s game. He’s obviously done extremely well in the sevens," Murphy continued.

"The sevens and 15s is different. Zac was a back-rower before he went to sevens.

"We’re thinking about trying to transform him into a winger and there’s quite a lot of learning in that in a short space of time.

"We’re hoping to get a look at him on Saturday evening albeit he’s only been in with us for four training sessions, so it’s a tight time frame but in order to get a look in before the start of the season we have to get him out there, so it will be interesting to see how he goes."