LEINSTER HEAD COACH Leo Cullen has confirmed that Ciarán Frawley is expected to be sidelined for between three and four months after he undergoes knee surgery today.

Briefing media on Monday ahead of Leinster’s fixture with Chile at Energia Park on Friday, Cullen said that, while the incident which caused Frawley’s injury for Ireland ‘A’ against an All Blacks XV on 4 November “looked really innocuous”, it will likely rule out the versatile back until Leinster’s final block of fixtures this season.

The injury comes as a cruel blow to Frawley, 24, who in the lead-up to this international window had been widely tipped to make his mark as part of Andy Farrell’s Ireland squad. It is one of significant inconvenience to Cullen and Leinster, too, such is Frawley’s form at provincial level as well as his ability to thrive in multiple positions across the backline.

“Yeah, that’s just the nature of the game isn’t it?” Cullen said. “We’re involved in a contact sport. You can be a bit boo-hoo about injuries at different stages of the year, but that’s the business that we’re in.

“It’s unfortunate for him, gives him an opportunity to work on a few other things maybe. Hopefully we get him back in a reasonable time.

We have a big block of games coming up here. Once the November internationals finish up this weekend against Australia, those guys will have the week off after that which is our Glasgow week. Then we have Ulster, then into four European games, and Munster on the 26th, and Connacht and Ospreys — so it’s a very exciting block of games. Ciarán will miss the bulk of that, all of it probably.

“Then you’re into the Six Nations and the last block of the season. The last block of the season is where the real business happens in provincial and club rugby so hopefully it falls and he’ll be back by then.”

Frawley’s difficulty has proven Jack Crowley’s opportunity in this November window, the 22-year-old Munster man impressing off the bench both against the All Blacks’ development squad and on his full Ireland debut as he replaced provincial teammate Joey Carbery against Fiji at the Aviva on Saturday.

Asked if he has felt the need to speak with Frawley about having the rug pulled from under him in cruel circumstances over the past 11 days, Cullen stressed that to be thinking in terms of ‘what-ifs’ is “wasted energy for players”.

“You can only worry about what you can control yourself,” he said. “You’re out, it’s frustrating, but it’s important that the players use the time well and upskill. Careers can be short, so make sure they look after themselves, learn about their body, recover, et cetera.

There’s always something they can work on, whether that’s a mental part of the game… So when he does come back, he’s in the best possible shape. So, he can’t worry about Jack Crowley or whoever else stepping into the [Ireland] team, or someone else at Leinster. For him, it’s just control what he can. That’s the same for every player, really. Otherwise you’d drive yourself demented.

“It’s just get the procedure done and move on to the next thing quite quickly.

“We try to push to the players as much as we can, that they players have some interest outside the game, as well, because it definitely helps in these moments when you have some time on your hands.”

Cullen also confirmed that he and Leinster do not yet know the extent of Robbie Henshaw’s hamstring injury after the Ireland centre returned to his province this week.

Harry Byrne, Jordan Larmour and Rónan Kelleher, meanwhile, have all returned to training this week but will not be considered for selection against Chile on Friday.

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