Marcell Coetzee: Ulster back row to miss Challenge Cup tie after being ruled out for a 'number of week'

Coetzee will leave Ulster at the end of the current season to join the Pretoria-based Bulls

Marcell Coetzee will miss Ulster's Challenge Cup tie against Harlequins on Sunday after being ruled out for a number of weeks by a hamstring injury.

The Springboks back row, who is leaving Ulster at the end of this season, sustained the injury in the game against Leinster on 6 March.

Ulster coach Dan McFarland admitted that it's now unclear whether Coetzee will play for the province again.

Billy Burns is a fitness doubt while David O'Connor has been ruled out.

Fly-half Burns is continuing his recovery from the groin injury which led to him becoming a late withdrawal from the Ireland replacements for the Six Nations game against England.

Lock O'Connor is unavailable after recently undergoing shoulder surgery.

Asked whether there is a possibility that Bulls-bound Coetzee has played his last Ulster game, McFarland replied: "We don't know. He has had a reasonably significant hamstring injury so he will go through the rehab process now and our medical performance team will work very hard to getting him back fit."

Will Addison has not played since Ulster's European victory over Leicester in January of last year

The Ulster coach had better news about Ireland international Will Addison who he believes will feature before the end of the season after being out for several months because of a back injury.

"As far as Will is concerned, yes I would be very optimistic that he will see rugby before the end of the season.

"Will is back in training with us now and he is not doing everything but he is doing a big chunk of the stuff that we do.

"He has been out for a long time so you can't just throw him back in as soon as he can run. You have to get some load back into them and prepare them for matches."

McFarland is also optimistic Angus Curtis could return to action for Ulster A this weekend in what would be the back's first game since suffering a serious knee injury in December 2019.

"It really was a horrible injury," said the Ulster coach of the knee damage suffered by Curtis, who can play either at fly-half or centre.

"He is a very brave young man, a very persistent young man. To get him back in training was brilliant and to get him back on the pitch would be awesome."