Geordan Murphy has been named in a 25-strong squad for Leicester's clash with London Irish on Saturday.
Murphy has been sidelined since breaking his leg during Ireland's World Cup warm-up clash with Scotland last September, but his rehabilitation has gone ahead of schedule, and he is likely to feature on the bench against the Exiles.
"We've put Geordan in the squad for this weekend, and the intention is to get him on to the pitch as much for his own confidence as for the team's," said Tigers head coach John Wells. "We all know Geordan has got great skills, but you also need a good mental balance. What we have to do is make sure he is completely confident going on to the pitch after what was a quite horrific injury."
A successful comeback at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday will give Murphy a great chance of playing some part in the latter stages of Ireland's Six Nations campaign. The repeat of last year's Grand Slam decider against England at Twickenham on March 6th may arrive too early for the talented full-back to make his return to the international arena.
But the final two games against Italy and Scotland on March 20th and March 27th could see his first Six Nations appearance this year as Ireland look to secure a likely third place finish in the championship table.
Murphy was destined to be one of the stars of the World Cup until his injury ruled him out of the tournament - with 10 tries from 20 international appearances he is one of Ireland's most dangerous attacking weapons and will be welcomed back by coach Eddie O'Sullivan.