Connacht and Ireland were dealt a big blow today with the news that winger Mack Hansen is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Hansen will undergo surgery today for a dislocated shoulder suffered in the closing stages of the 22-9 New Year's Day victory over Munster at the Sportsground and looks set to miss the next 3 to 4 months of action, including the Six Nations Championship.
Elsewhere, scrum-half Caolan Blade might yet be available to travel to France for the Champions Cup tie with Lyon next Saturday as he continues his return to play protocol following a head injury assessment against Munster. Cathal Forde, who also came off injured against Munster, will have his shoulder injury assessed further next week but will be unavailable for the Lyon game.
On a more positive note, Sean Jansen and Oisin McCormack have recovered from injury and are available for selection for the Champions Cup tie in Lyon on Saturday at 1 pm.
