MUNSTER ARE HOPING Keith Earls and Damian de Allende will be fit to face Exeter Chiefs in the Heineken Champions Cup last 16 but defence coach JP Ferreira says that the southern province remain uncertain as to when exactly the two experienced backs will be ruled fit to return.

World Cup winner De Allende was listed as having suffered an injury to his abdominal area in training during the week leading up to Munster’s impressive 14-man defeat of Ulster at Thomond Park. The 30-year-old Springbok, who is expected to depart at the end of the season upon the completion of his contract, hasn’t featured for Munster since New Year’s Day.

Earls, meanwhile, was released back to Munster from Andy Farrell’s Six Nations squad to rehabilitate a hamstring injury which ruled him out of Ireland’s curtain-raising victory over Wales on Saturday.

Speaking in advance of Munster’s trip to Glasgow Warriors on Friday night (8:15, TG4), Ferreira said: “Keith Earls has just come back from national camp and he’s busy rehabbing and going through the medical side with his hamstring. I don’t have a timeline on that.

“Damian is busy rehabbing and getting that hip flexor and groin right, so there’s also no timeline on him. It’s pretty much up to the medics to say how long but they assess him every day and every week, and we just get updates on how he’s tracking with his rehabbing. So in the near future, I can’t say he’ll be available for whatever game. It’s just how good he’s going to rehab and get himself right.”

Springboks RG Snyman and Jason Jenkins also remain out for an indefinite period, but Ferreira confirmed that both hooker Niall Scannell and wing Calvin Nash have returned to full training.

Friday’s trip to Scotland will make for the first of 11 games in 12 weeks for Munster. These include a two-legged return to South Africa in March before back-to-back trips to Leinster and Exeter in April in the URC and Europe respectively.