Rugby:Geordan Murphy could yet have a major role to play in Ireland's Six Nations campaign. The fullback is sill waiting to discover the full extent of the ankle injury he suffered playing for Leicester last weekend

Murphy has already seen a specialist and was due to have further scans today and tomorrow before receiving a definitive diagnosis. At this stage, he has been ruled out of Saturday’s Heineken Cup meeting with the Llanelli Scarlets but Leicester have put no time-frame on his return.

“Geordan has hurt his ankle and is seeing a specialist,” Leicester coach Richard Cockerill has explained. “He will have the right scans and get the right opinion and we will know more then. He certainly won’t be fit for this weekend.

“Our luck with injuries hasn’t been good so far this season so we will have to see. When we get the right advice, we can have some accurate diagnosis on how long he may be out for. It’s really disappointing for Geordy, he was just coming into some good form and, on the big days, you need the big players.”

With Rob Kearney already ruled out of the Six Nations through injury, Ireland coach has few options at fullback and may also be without Connacht’s Gavin Duffy for the opening weekend in Italy. Duffy missed the entire festive period and has already been ruled out of Connacht’s trip to Bayonne this weekend.

“The game this week has just come a bit early for him and we don’t want to risk anything, not least given the situation with the national team,” said Connacht coach Eric Elwood. “We would hope he will be fully recovered for when we play Cavalieri the following week and he will be raring to go.”