All three players underwent corrective surgery last month and while it is expected that O Connell and Horgan will be available for rounds 3 and 4, Wallace is unlikely to be fit until the knock-out stages. Commenting on the squad formation, team manager Jerry Holland explained that the medical information available to us right now is that Paul O Connell and Anthony Horgan should be available for the latter games of the Pool stages, but that David Wallace will not be back in training until the New Year.

O Connell and Horgan were not included in the Celtic League squad nor was Martin Cahill, but Cahill is also well on the way to recovery and he features in the squad. Wallace s absence is a major setback for Munster however there will have been considerable encouragement by the performance of Denis Leamy in the number seven shirt in the Celtic League game against Swansea. Leamy made his competitive debut for Munster and caught the eye with a sparkling performance against a seasoned Swansea back-row.

Forwards:

James Blaney, Padraig Brennan, Martin Cahill, John Fogarty, Anthony Foley, Mick Galwey, John Hayes, Eddie Halvey, Marcus Horan, Simon Kerr, Denis Leamy, Rob Laffan, Colm McMahon, Warren O Kelly, Paul O Connell, Donncha O Callaghan, Mick O Driscoll, Alan Quinlan, Frank Sheahan, Jim Williams (Capt.)

Backs:

Dominic Crotty, Anthony Horgan, Rob Henderson, Jason Holland, Killian Keane, John Kelly, Mossy Lawlor, Dominic Malone,Mike Mullins, Ronan O Gara, John O Neill, Mike Prendergast, Jeremy Staunton, Peter Stringer.