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Keith Earls may have played his final game for Munster after it was confirmed the Ireland wing will miss the rest of the season with a groin injury.
The 35-year-old will be out for a “number of weeks” after picking up the injury against the Sharks last month.
Earls is contracted to Munster until the end of the Rugby World Cup.
After missing Ireland’s Grand Slam-winning Six Nations campaign through injury, he will hope to be involved in the World Cup warm-up games in August.
If Earls recovers in time to make Andy Farrell’s World Cup squad, the chances of him adding to his 200 Munster appearances would be slim.
Munster travel to Glasgow in the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals on Saturday, and while assistant coach Denis Leamy expressed frustration for Earls’ latest setback, he said the former Lions player remains in the province’s plans.
“It’s hugely frustrating because he’s come back and he was brilliant on tour in South Africa, two really strong showings off the bench as well and then unfortunately he’s done that injury,” said Leamy.
“Such a pity but look, Keith’s with us until the end of the World Cup so who knows? We’ll have to revisit and have a discussion around that but he’s still very much in our plans.
“I suppose at some stage we’ll have to sit down with Keith and see what he wants to do.”
