MUNSTER SAY TYLER Bleyendaal will be sidelined for 12 weeks as they seek to finally cure the Kiwi import’s troublesome quad issue.

Bleyendaal started at 10 against Leinster last month. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO

The 25-year-old has been struggling with a quad tendon injury in recent months, dropping out of match day squads on a number of occasions and appearing to be some way short of full fitness when he started against Leinster on 27 December.

Bleyendaal has had specialist consultation on the quad problem over the last week and a final decision has been made to put the former New Zealand U20 captain into a 12-week rehabilitation period.

It’s a frustrating outcome for Munster, who are paying handsomely for Bleyendaal’s services and have seen him start just three games since joining in January of last year.

The hope is that he could play some part later this season, with a three-month recovery period putting him in line for a mid-April return, or will at least be fully fit for the 2016/17 campaign. Bleyendaal’s contract with Munster runs until June 2017.

More positively for Munster, James Cronin returned to full training in Limerick today after recovering from an ankle injury and will now hope to be named in Joe Schmidt’s Ireland training squad for the Six Nations tomorrow afternoon.

Cronin is back in full training. Source: James Crombie/INPHO

Back row Dave O’Callaghan resumed modified training after recovering from his adductor injury, while Rory Scannell is carrying out the return-to-play protocols after suffering concussion against Stade Français last weekend.

Andrew Conway sat out the session in UL due to an ongoing hip pointer issue, while the province also confirmed that tighthead prop BJ Botha [ACL] and highly-rated out-half Bill Johnston [shoulder] will undergo surgery next week.

Stephen Archer made a welcome return to the pitch today, completing some light running as his neck injury continues to heal, although Cathal Sheridan [calf], Duncan Casey [pec] and Peter O’Mahony [knee] all remain in rehabilitation.