Doris needs shoulder operation & is doubt for Lions

Doris was forced off during Leinster's defeat by Northampton on Saturday

Ireland captain Caelan Doris' availability for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia is in doubt as Leinster say he will have a "procedure" on a shoulder injury.

The 27-year-old, who has been touted as a potential Lions captain after taking over as Ireland skipper before last year, was hurt during Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton Saints on Saturday.

Andy Farrell, who appointed Doris as Ireland captain, names his Lions squad on Thursday.

"The full extent of the injury, and implications for the summer, won't be known until after the procedure," read a statement from Leinster.

However, speaking to reporters later on Monday, Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber says he fears the injury Doris is "quite serious".

"He saw a specialist and I think there's some further investigation that needs to be done," Nienaber said of Doris, who was forced off with a quarter of the Saints game remaining.

"Fingers crossed that things aren't as bad as we think it is, but in the last couple of months that I've worked with Caelan, he's not a guy that necessarily comes off the pitch with injury.

"So when I subjectively saw him coming off the pitch on Saturday, I thought in my mind, 'that must be quite serious'.

"We'll probably know more in the back end of the week, but my gut, and it's only gut, says that I think it might be serious, but fingers crossed it might not be."

The Lions take on Argentina in Dublin on 20 June before travelling to Australia. Farrell's side face the Wallabies in three Tests on 19 July (Brisbane), 26 July (Melbourne) and 2 August (Sydney).

'We're not 100% sure how much damage there is'

When asked if Doris is now in a race to be fit in time for the Lions, Nienaber said it was "difficult" for him to "comment on the selection piece of it".

"But it'll definitely be a race," added the South African, who joined Leinster at the end of 2023.

"Shoulder injuries, depending on the amount of structural damage there is, it can be anything from a two-month thing to a four-to-six month thing so depending on the amount of damage within the shoulder joint and all the structures involved, that will determine that."

Nienaber, who was the head coach during the Springboks' 2023 World Cup triumph, added: "We're 100% sure. We know there is damage, we're just not 100% sure how much damage.

"As I said, Caelan, as a person, I don't think I've ever seen him leave the field since I've been here, except if we decide to take him off.

"But in my time here, he's never come off the pitch with an injury that wasn't serious."

'Troubling development for Farrell' - analysis

Lions boss Farrell chose Doris as the man to succeed Peter O'Mahony as Ireland captain

This is a troubling development for Farrell, just 72 hours out from his first Lions squad announcement.

Doris did not make Warren Gatland's Lions squad in 2021 but everything has pointed towards him being a key figure under Farrell in Australia this summer.

Over the past 12 months he has taken on the Leinster and Ireland captaincies and is thought to be in direct competition with England skipper Maro Itoje for the Lions role.

But, just a couple of days after Leinster crashed out of the Champions Cup, his Lions participation has been thrown into doubt.

The severity of the injury will be crucial to his hopes, with the Lions travelling to Australia during the third week of June.

Earlier this season, Doris' Ireland and Leinster team-mate Dan Sheehan recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury inside six months to make the Six Nations.

Farrell will hope Doris' recovery goes as smoothly as that.