IT HAS BEEN a turbulent start to the week for Keith Earls.

The IRFU this morning confirmed that the winger has signed a new two-year central contract, but his province have indicated he will miss most if not all of Ireland’s Six Nations campaign.

Although no official time-frame has been set on his recovery, the Munster wing yesterday underwent a scan on the injury sustained in Sunday’s win over Edinburgh and the province have today confirmed the results of that scan show ‘some’ knee ligament damage.

Commenting on the news, IRFU CEO Philip Browne said:

“We wish him a speedy recovery from his recent injury and look forward to seeing Keith play for Munster and Ireland over the next twoyears.”

Munster coach Rob Penney added:

“We are delighted that Keith has signed a new IRFU contract which will see him remain a Munster player until the end of the 2016 season. Keith is an exciting player whose speed and acceleration can cause havoc for opposition defenses. As a senior member of the squad he will play a huge role in the future success of the province.”

Meanwhile, Penney’s medical team have also reported that second row Donnacha Ryan had keyhole surgery on his knee last week as a precaution.

The lock has played just 53 minutes since straining his ligaments against Gloucester in October. The operation confirmed no additional damage had been suffered during his rehabilitation from the injury which flared up during a training session last month.

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