Leinster confirm Johnny Sexton 'likely' to miss rest of the season

Leinster have confirmed that Ireland flyhalf Johnny Sexton is 'likely' to miss the rest of the domestic season for the Irish province.

The fly-half sustained the injury during the team's match against England last Saturday, and after being assessed by the medical team, it has been decided that he will undergo a procedure on the injury. A statement reads: "Johnny Sexton: will see a specialist tomorrow and have a procedure on the groin injury picked up in last Saturday’s game against England which will likely keep him sidelined for the remainder of the Leinster Rugby season."

It's a major blow for the Irish giants. Sexton's absence will undoubtedly be felt by the team as they chase silverware in both the URC and the Heineken Champions Cup. They take on Ulster this weekend in the Champions Cup Round of 16 and Ross Byrne will almost certainly start at 10.

It will also leave Sexton needing game time going into the Rugby World Cup later this year in France. Sexton has typically been able to bounce back into form quickly with minimal game time, and will now likely feature heavily in Ireland's Rugby World Cup warm-ups in the summer.

In other injury news, prop Ed Byrne has come through the weekend's game unscathed after returning from a knee injury. This is good news for Leinster as they will need all hands on deck as they try to cope without their star player.

Meanwhile, Garry Ringrose, Hugo Keenan, and Caelan Doris will all continue to follow the Graduated Return to Play Protocols this week. The trio's progress will be closely monitored by the medical team, and it remains to be seen when they will be available for selection.