Sean O’Brien will play no part in Ireland’s Test against Australia on Saturday, the IRFU has confirmed.
The Leinster flanker was rested from the Captain's Run at the Aviva Stadium on Friday due to a leg injury, and has failed to prove his fitness before Saturday's 5.30pm kick-off.
Peter O’Mahony has been drafted into the match-day squad and named on the bench, with Josh van der Flier promoted to the starting openside slot after two prolonged appearances off the bench in the games against New Zealand.
Jared Payne, another fitness doubt coming into the game, has been cleared to line out in the number 13 jersey.
On Friday defence coach Andy Farrell described his and O'Brien's injuries as "just tweaks, just lower limber tweaks. That's what normally happens during the week. The main session was yesterday and we decided to give a couple of players a rest today."
The updated Irish matchday squad is as follows:
Rob Kearney; Andrew Trimble, Jared Payne, Garry Ringrose, Keith Earls; Paddy Jackson, Conor Murray; Jack McGrath, Rory Best (capt), Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, Devin Toner, CJ Stander, Josh van der Flier, Jamie Heaslip.
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Cian Healy, Finlay Bealham, Ultan Dillane, Peter O'Mahony, Kieran Marmion, Joey Carbery, Simon Zebo.
