Celtic League: Team check

Leinster

Leinster could be without Andy Dunne and Peter McKenna for Friday night's Celtic League semi-final against Glasgow at Lansdowne Road. Dunne has been out of commission with a chipped bone in his ankle and the prognosis is that he will not be available this week.

Dunne's place on the replacements bench for the victory over Newport last weekend was taken by McKenna but he too is in trouble after picking up a calf injury in St Mary's' defeat by Cork Constitution on Sunday. If both players are ruled out then Simon Keogh would join Ben Willis and Adam Magro as backline cover for the Glasgow game.

Leinster coach Matt Williams received better news in that outhalf Nathan Spooner and flanker Eric Miller have both recovered from injuries sustained in the Newport match. Emmet Byrne, who missed the game with a shoulder injury, is not expected to make the match on Friday.

Leinster's citing of Newport prop Adrian Garvey for foul play at a ruck and the subsequent reprisal from the Welsh club in citing Trevor Brennan and Spooner for high tackles on Garvey and Matt Mostyn respectively is unlikely to be resolved before the weekend.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) disciplinary committee will preside over the Garvey affair.

They meet tonight and given that the player in question has not been asked to attend, it will probably be dealt with at next Tuesday night's disciplinary meeting. Garvey would therefore be free to play for Newport against Llanelli on Friday night in the Scottish/Welsh league.

Leinster are expecting to have Brennan and Spooner available for the Glasgow match. The team will be announced at lunch-time today.

Glasgow

Jon Petrie, the Glasgow and Scotland number eight is making good progress following injury but he will not be available for the Leinster game, nor will his fellow internationals, full back Glenn Metcalfe and prop David Hilton.

Richie Dixon, Glasgow's head coach said: "Jon is making very good progress. We're hopeful he can be back before we expected but Glenn (Metcalfe) and David (Hilton) are still on rehab."

Metcalfe, Petrie, and Hilton missed Glasgow's Celtic League quarter-final win against Connacht in Galway last Saturday.

However, all 22 on duty that afternoon are available for selection for Friday's Lansdowne Road semi-final.

Glasgow's team will be named today following a press conference at Grangemouth Stadium.

Ulster

Ulster wing James Topping could be out of action until the New Year. The Ballymena player missed last weekend's victory over Neath with a groin strain and it is now feared that the injury could keep him out for a further month.

He won't play in the Celtic League semi-final against Munster at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

His replacement in the Neath game, Sheldon Coulter, damaged an ankle that night but the injury has responded well and he could be available for selection.

If both players were ruled out then coach Alan Solomons could turn to either Ryan Constable, who came on for Coulter the last day, or Jan Cunningham.

Jeremy Davidson was introduced for the final 20 minutes against Neath and while he will probably not make the starting XV for Saturday is likely to enjoy a more prominent role. The Ulster team will be confirmed today.

Munster

Munster coach Declan Kidney is awaiting definitive medical reports on Peter Stringer and John Hayes ahead of finalising the team later today. Stringer missed the victory over Llanelli with an ankle injury. His replacement Mike Prendergast scored the only try of the match and so Stringer's absence was not too keenly felt. Hayes damaged a shoulder against the Welsh side.

Flanker David Wallace, another absentee the last day, is almost certainly out as his shoulder is not sufficiently mended.

Munster were able to confirm that New Zealand-born centre Jason Holland is now considered a European player under the three-year residency rule for the Heineken European Cup and this will allow the province to use Jim Williams and John Langford as their two foreign players. Langford is currently in Australia but will return after Christmas for the final two pool matches plus any games in the knock-out stages of the competition.