Ireland: Joe Schmidt 'confident' Mike Ross will be fit for S Africa

Mike Ross in action against Argentina in June

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt is "quietly confident" tight-head prop Mike Ross will be fit for the first Test against South Africa in Dublin on 8 November.

Front-rowers Marty Moore and Nathan White have been ruled out by injury, while Ross, 34, has not played for a month because of a groin problem.

However, Schmidt said Ross is "progressing pretty well" and expects him to resume training next week.

"He's taken part in some of the more static aspects of training," he said.

Ireland begin their three-Test November series against South Africa without at least 15 squad members missing because of injury.

James Cronin will miss the series with ankle trouble, compounding Ireland's loose-head prop problems and adding to Jack McGrath's workload with Cian Healy a long-term absentee.

Schmidt said he considered pulling tight-head prop options Rodney Ah You and Archer out of club action this weekend.

"Rodney Ah You is playing for Connacht against the Ospreys, and Stephen Archer will have some time at Munster," Schmidt said.

"Tadhg Furlong will play for Leinster and Declan Fitzpatrick for Ulster - those are our other options.

Nathan White sustained an arm injury in Ireland training this week which will rule him out for four months

"It's a catch-22, because Nathan White was the starting prop at Connacht and has really dominated the starting time [and] Rodney needs the game time.

"Tadhg Furlong certainly needs to play; he's been sat behind Michael Bent.

"Declan Fitzpatrick has been massively underplayed because he's had a succession of injuries and Stephen Archer the same.

"So it's not a lot of rugby for those guys in the last two weeks to then have a week off and go into a Test match, it would be pretty difficult."

Tommy Bowe and Gordon D'Arcy joined Ireland's list of injury concerns following last weekend's European action.

Bowe suffered concussion in Ulster's defeat by Toulon on Saturday, while D'Arcy hobbled off during Leinster's win over Castres with a groin injury.

Rob Kearney is also a doubt for Ireland's South Africa contest because of a hamstring injury.

Andrew Trimble, Luke Marshall, Iain Henderson and Donnacha Ryan will miss Ireland's three autumn Tests, while Leinster trio Fergus McFadden, Dave Kearney and Jordi Murphy are also out of action because of injury.