Wednesday 28 August 2019 12:16, UK
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt is confident Joey Carbery will regain full fitness ahead of his team's World Cup opener against Scotland next month in Yokohama.
Fly-half Carbery is recuperating from a minor operation on the ankle he injured in Ireland's opening World Cup warm-up win over Italy, with an estimated recovery time of four to six weeks.
"He's progressing well," said Schmidt. "He was doing a bit on the pitch today and I think in terms of following his rehab, that four-to-six-week window is bang on."
Schmidt suggested Carbery could even be in line to feature in Ireland's final warm-up match against Wales in Dublin on September 7, much ahead of the World Cup opener on September 22.
"We just don't know where he's going to fall in that four-to-six window. If everything goes perfectly, he may get into that Welsh game back here in the Aviva," Schmidt added.
"If it hasn't gone perfectly then, at worst, I think he will be fully available for the Scotland game."
