The Scarlets will not have to face Ireland international pair Tadhg Furlong and Robbie Henshaw when they take on the might of Leinster in their United Rugby Championship quarter-final clash this weekend.
Both have been ruled out due to injury ahead of Saturday’s showdown at the Aviva Stadium (15:00 BST).
The Irish province confirmed that Furlong, their hugely experienced tighthead prop, will be unavailable after sustaining a “minor calf injury”.
Despite the setback, the 32-year-old is not considered a doubt for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, having already been named in Andy Farrell’s 38-man squad.
Furlong, a veteran of the Lions series in 2017 and 2021, has endured a frustrating campaign.
Persistent calf and hamstring issues have limited him to just eight Leinster appearances, with only a single substitute outing during Ireland’s recent Six Nations campaign.
It is now the other calf causing issues, though this latest problem is not thought to be long-term.
Henshaw’s situation is more likely to rule him out of the rest of the season.
The centre, who missed out on Farrell’s Lions selection, is now expected to be out of action for up to a month with a knee injury — ruling him out for the rest of the club season, even if Leinster progress to the final.
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The Scarlets, however, may have to face Jordan Lamour this weekend.
The 27-year-old has been absent for five months with a hamstring problem, but is in contention for selection.
The dynamic wing, capped 32 times by Ireland, last featured in December’s interprovincial clash against Munster.
The Scarlets will be huge underdogs to make the semi-finals but will take confidence from their decisive 35-22 victory over the former perennial champions in Llanelli just last month.
Scarlets captain Josh Macleod, whose season has been a personal renaissance, is eager to build on his team’s recent momentum.
The 28-year-old has overcome a string of injuries and limited opportunities to thrive this year, scoring nine tries in 13 matches — a stark contrast to last season, where he managed just three appearances.
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“It’s the most amount of games I’ve been available for since I can remember,” said Macleod.
“As skipper, it’s pleasing just being able to contribute and give my all to the team. It was tough last season.
“When you are sidelined for as long as I was, you feel so separated from the team and you feel like your voice isn’t as heard. It was massively frustrating.
“But, this season, I’ve been able to put the jersey on, lace the boots up and be out there with the boys. So it has definitely been pleasing personally. I’ve loved it.”
Handed the captaincy from Jonathan Davies, Macleod has taken his leadership role in his stride, thriving within a tight-knit squad.
“It’s a very easy group to captain. There are a lot of natural leaders within the team. They make it very easy and enjoyable for me.”
READ MORE: Scarlets v Leinster
