Double Heineken Cup winner Luke Fitzgerald has been ruled out for the rest of the season after rupturing his cruciate knee ligaments in Ireland's RBS 6 Nations defeat in Rome.
It means the Leinster wing will miss his side's assault on the Amlin Challenge Cup title and he won't be available for the quarter-final clash with London Wasps at Adams Park on Friday, 5 April.
The 25-year-old lasted 12 minutes of the game in Rome after coming on to replace Keith Earls in the 24th minute of the first half. He is set to undergo surgery later this week when the swelling dies down.
Leinster, the reigning Heineken Cup champions, are also sweating on the fitness of Irish outside half Jonathan Sexton, who toire a tendon in his foot in the final training run ahead of the game in Rome. He had only just recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the internationals against Scotland and France.
But it is not all doom and gloom for Leinster, who will be making their first appearance in the Amlin Challenge Cup after finishing second in their Heineken Cup Pool behind ASM Clermont Auvergne. Gordon D'Arcy is posied to make a return either this week or next after a month on the sidelines with a foot injury and should be available for selection for Adams Park.
Head coach Joe Schmidt will also be delighted to see the experienced trio of Kevin McLaughlin, Isa Nacewa and Heinke van der Merwe back in action after missing their side's four victories over the 6
