Andy Farrell is ready to risk returning Ireland frontliners against South Africa - because of the nature of the opposition.
The Ireland boss received welcome news from his medical team when the squad arrived at IRFU's high performance HQ in Abbotstown yesterday, with most of the casualty list ready or almost ready to return.
Joey Carbery has been passed fit to face the Springboks on Saturday week while Tadhg Beirne (adductor), Jamison Gibson-Park (hamstring), Hugo Keenan (abdomen), Jacob Stockdale (ankle) and squad newcomer Calvin Nash (dead leg) will all resume full training this week.
READ MORE: Tadhg Furlong to be fit to face Springboks as Ireland boss Andy Farrell waits on stars
Ciarán Frawley, who also suffered a shoulder issue, will be managed across the week.
Both Tadhg Furlong (ankle) and Peter O’Mahony (neck) will complete their rehab programmes and train later this week.
Craig Casey (groin) and Josh van der Flier (ankle) will continue their rehab and could be in a race to be fit.
However Leinster duo Keenan and Gibson-Park, two regulars under Farrell at Test level, have yet to play this season.
Their selection could be a risk, given it is the world champions coming to Dublin.
Asked if he will be comfortable going with them and others who have not played in weeks, Farrell responded: "What do you suggest we do otherwise?
"Some players don’t need that much game time, some players are able to just hit it straight from the word go, some players need five or six games to hit the ground running.
"It’s up to us to assess that. We’re not a massive playing group as well, so needs must at times.
“There’s a lot going on but in general the feeling is amongst the medical staff that people are progressing really well.
"Most people should be back sometime this week, if not the end of the week and then there’s a couple that we’ll keep assessing throughout.
“So decent enough news actually, coming in last night and medical checks this morning. Not a bad place to be.”
He added: "Hugo, I’m told, will be available. He’s going to be training with us this week.
“We’re gradually building the week anyway, as we go, so Thursday, Friday is going to be a big couple of days for a few of the players.
"But we’ll just wait and see. There’s some people that can handle those type of situations better than others.”
Pressed on whether he had big concerns over any of his top men running out of time to be fit, Farrell said he was not overly worried.
“No, I don’t think anyone’s in that type of bracket but having said that, where we’re at in terms of rehabilitation is concerned, some people are just getting back running now," he remarked.
"So as you go through different stages people could break down and there’s one or two, two or three in that type of bracket that we don’t know about.
"But certainly nobody’s ruled out at this stage.”
Meanwhile, the eight Ulster players who were in South Africa and part of the squad struck down by illness flew into Dublin last night.
Robert Baloucoune, James Hume, Rob Herring, Michael Lowry, Stuart McCloskey, Tom O’Toole, Nick Timoney and Kieran Treadwell will be managed over the coming days following the recent gastro issues experienced by the Ulster squad.
Players named in the A squad for the game against the All Blacks XV at the RDS on Friday week will remain with their provinces this week to play in the round 7 of the URC.
"There’s so much improvement that we want to prove to ourselves first and foremost that we can do so it’s great back in after watching the URC for a few weeks now," added Farrell.
“It’s great to be back in and have this week to get back and running and prepare properly, dust ourselves down and understand where we’re trying to go with our game and where we’re trying push on because we’ve prided ourselves on trying to get back up to speed as soon as we possibly can.
"That, as we all know, is the art of international rugby because nobody really cares whether you’ve got five days or six months of preparation so to get back up to speed for that first game and be at our best is where we want to be.
"And I think we all know it’s where we have to be coming up a good team like South Africa.”
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