5:06am, 12 August 2019

Joey Carbery’s ankle injury will rule him out of action for six weeks, a source close to the Irish camp has confirmed exclusively to RugbyPass.

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The injury means Carbery would miss Ireland’s opening game of the Rugby World Cup against Scotland on September 22 in Yokohama and struggle to gain fitness in time for their second pool game six days later against Japan in Shizuoka.

He would potentially be available for the remaining pool games versus Russia and Samoa and the knockout stages should Ireland progress to the latter part of the competition.

It leaves Joe Schmidt with a difficult decision to make regarding the Munster No10. Carbery is the current understudy to first choice Jonathan Sexton, but he also provides cover at 15, something which is extremely valuable as part of a 31-man World Cup squad.

Carbery injured his ankle during last Saturday’s match in Dublin against Italy. The playmaker was eventually replaced at 10 by Connacht’s Jack Carty, who is Schmidt’s other out-half option along with Leinster’s Ross Byrne.

Ireland now travel to Portugal for a warm-weather training camp before taking on England in London on August 24 and Wales home and away on August 31 and September 7.

Schmidt isn’t finalising his 31-man squad until after the first match against the Welsh, giving him some time to make his decision regarding what to do with the sidelined Carbery.

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WATCH: Joe Schmidt speaks to the press following Ireland’s win over Italy in Dublin