TADHG FURLONG is poised to make his first appearance of the Six Nations against Italy.
Furlong has missed all four games to date because of calf problem which flared up during their pre-tournament training camp in Portugal.
But an IRFU bulletin has reported that the prop, Mack Hansen and Garry Ringrose will all be available for selection in Rome.
And it is hoped that James Lowe and Rónan Kelleher may also be at Simon Easterby’s disposal for Ireland’s final fixture.
Hansen sat out Saturday’s chastening defeat to France with a quad issue, having previously sat out the Scotland game with a hamstring problem.
Ringrose was absent on Sunday because of a suspension for a high tackle on Ben Thomas of Wales.
His three-game ban included a Leinster game against Cardiff in which he was unlikely to feature with the final match taken away in exchange for agreeing to take part in World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme.
Lowe was forced to pull out of what was Ireland’s first Championship home defeat in four years when he suffered a back spasm with Calvin Nash – who, along with Joe McCarthy, was yellow-carded – taking his place.
Kelleher was ruled out with a neck problem with Rob Herring stepping in as replacement hooker.
A decision on Lowe and Kelleher’s availability will be made later in the week with the matchday squad named at lunchtime on Thursday.
Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray and Cian Healy are all poised to make the final appearances of their Ireland career at the Stadio Olimpico.
Ireland squad: Baird, Bealham, Beirne, Boyle, Clarkson, Conan, Coombes, Doris, Furlong, Healy, Rob Herring, Kelleher, G McCarthy, J McCarthy, O’Mahony, O’Toole, Porter, C Prendergast, Ryan, Sheehan, van der Flier; Aki, Blade, Crowley, Frawley, Gibson-Park, Hansen, Henshaw, Keenan, Lowe, McCloskey, Murray, Nash, O’Brien, Osborne, S Prendergast, Ringrose, Stockdale.
