Just 24 hours after losing Rob Henderson for the upcoming tour of Australia, Samoa and Tonga, Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan must contend without the services of Denis Hickie after the Leinster wing was forced to withdraw through injury today.
Hickie sustained a groin injury during training at Merrion Road this morning, ruling him out of the three southern hemisphere test matches.
The 40-man squad depart for Australia tomorrow and Friday and O'Sullivan has opted not to call a replacement into the travelling party, deciding instead to stick with the cover out wide provided by the likes of James Topping, John Kelly, Tyrone Howe and Anthony Horgan.
Henderson withdrew yesterday with a torn calf muscle and is not expected to return to full training for at least three weeks. His place in the squad was taken by Munster teammate Mike Mullins.
O'Sullivan, meanwhile, must wait on further news of Gary Longwell who is suffering from a virus and while almost certain to travel, may not be fit for Saturday week's test against the Wallabies in Perth.
Ireland then face Tonga on June 14th before meeting Samoa on June 20th.
Revised Ireland squad for summer tour:
Forwards: Simon Best (Ulster - Belfast Harlequins), Emmet Byrne (St. Mary's College - Leinster), Shane Byrne (Leinster - Blackrock College), Reggie Corrigan (Leinster - Greystones), Leo Cullen (Leinster - Blackrock Clollege), Victor Costello (Leinster - St. Mary's College), Kieron Dawson (London Irish), Simon Easterby (Llanelli), Justin Fitzpatrick (Dungannon - Ulster) Aidan McCullen (Leinster - Lansdowne), Keith Gleeson (Leinster - St.Mary's College), Marcus Horan (Munster - Shannon), Gary Longwell ( Ulster - Ballymena), Eric Miller (Leinster - Terenure College), Donnacha O'Callaghan (Munster - Cork Constitution), Paul O'Connell (Munster - Young Munster), Malcolm O'Kelly (Leinster - St. Mary's College), Alan Quinlan (Munster - Shannon), Frank Sheahan (Munster - Cork Constitution), Paul Shields (Ulster - Ballymena), David Wallace (Munster - Garryowen).
Backs: Jonathan Bell (Ulster- Dungannon), Paul Burke (Harlequins), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster - Lansdowne), Girvan Dempsey (Leinster-Terenure College), Guy Easterby (Llanelli), Mike Mullins (Munster-Old Crescent), Anthony Horgan (Munster- Cork Constitution), Tyrone Howe (Ulster - Dungannon), David Humphreys (Ulster-Dungannon), John Kelly (Munster-Cork Constitution), Mark McHugh (Connacht - St. Mary's College), Kevin Maggs (Bath), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Ronan O'Gara (Munster-Cork Constitution), Brian O'Meara (Leinster - Cork Constitution), David Quinlan (Leinster-Blackrock College), Peter Stringer (Munster-Shannon), James Topping (Ulster-Ballymena), Paddy Wallace (Ulster- Ballymena).