Who Ireland are likely to replace Robbie Henshaw with

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell admits absent prop Cian Healy is in the “forefront” of his thinking as he considers potential World Cup replacements for injured centre Robbie Henshaw.

Henshaw has been ruled out of Saturday’s clash with Scotland and is expected to be sidelined until at least the semi-final stage of the tournament due to a hamstring issue sustained in training.

The 30-year-old will remain in France for the time being but could be replaced depending on the progress of his rehabilitation.

Farrell would not necessarily opt for a “like for like” swap and is monitoring the situation of front-row forward Healy.

The veteran Leinster loosehead, whose 36th birthday coincides with Ireland’s Pool B finale against the Scots, suffered a calf issue on the eve of the competition but last week posted videos on social media of him back in training.

“It all depends in regards to if someone else goes down (against Scotland),” said Farrell.

“What does the squad need? What do we need to be able to prepare properly?

“It’s not always a replacement like for like, so Cian is obviously one of those players who’s at the forefront of our minds.”