Ulster are set to be with out Iain Henderson and John Cooney of their European Champions Cup opener at Sale on Sunday.
The Eire pair and hooker Tom Stewart needed to come off throughout Ulster’s defeat by Leinster on Saturday below World Rugby’s Head Harm Evaluation course of.
Ulster defence coach Jonny Bell stated Henderson and Cooney are “massive doubts”.
“We have to undergo the entire protocols however I would say they’re most likely extremely unlikely [to play],” stated Bell.
Cooney was injured in a collision with James Lowe with Henderson coming off after 56 minutes.
Stewart was changed by Rob Herring after solely 20 minutes with Nathan Doak and Duane Vermeulen taking up from Cooney and Henderson within the third quarter.
Hooker Stewart wanted therapy for a blood damage following the pinnacle conflict which resulted in Leinster’s Cian Healy receiving a crimson card however his prospects of that includes in opposition to Sale seem higher.
Bell admitted that the Ulster administration and gamers have been “vastly disenchanted” by the 38-29 defeat in opposition to their 14-man Irish provincial rivals after main 22-3, including that Ronan Kelleher’s strive simply earlier than half-time which lower the margin to 12 factors on the break was a vital rating.
“That strive simply earlier than half-time gave them a bit of little bit of hope so we’re disenchanted that second occurred.”
The Ulster defence coach attributed the group’s subsequent collapse to an “lack of ability to get good discipline place”, allied to the error of making an attempt to “shut the sport out relatively than making an attempt to to win it”.
“However we have had a great overview immediately and the wonder about this recreation is that you have a European Cup recreation this weekend so there is not any licking your wounds for too lengthy.
“There have been quite a lot of actually good issues that went proper in opposition to Leinster. It simply would not really feel like that when you find yourself trying again on the scoreline.
“We have to take these into this recreation as a result of Sale are a unique animal however a giant, bodily, aggressive facet and enjoying very nicely within the Premiership in the mean time.”