Paul O'Connell and Ronan O'Gara have both been included in a provisional 25-man Munster squad for Sunday's Heineken Cup opener against Leicester (Welford Road, kick-off 3pm).
Team captain and lock O'Connell (hip flexor/back spasm) and out-half O'Gara (shoulder) are winning their races to be fit for the repeat of the 2002 Cup final.
O'Connell sat out last Friday's Magners League defeat to Edinburgh due to the injury, while O'Gara lasted only nine minutes due to the knock to his shoulder. Both players trained at Temple Hill yesterday.
Munster coach Declan Kidney has included new centres Diogo Mateus (Portugal) and Lifeimi Mafi (New Zealand) in the 25-man panel of players. Mafi has been nominated as the champions' 'additional player' for the tournament with Cork Constitution's Tom Gleeson the unfortunate one to be de-registered.
MUNSTER SQUAD (v Leicester Tigers): Backs - Shaun Payne, Diogo Mateus, Lifeimi Mafi, Trevor Halstead, Barry Murphy, John Kelly, Ian Dowling, Eoghan Hickey, Jeremy Manning, Ronan O'Gara, Tomas O'Leary, Peter Stringer.
Forwards - John Hayes, Marcus Horan, Federico Pucciariello, Frankie Sheahan, Andy Kyriacou, Paul O'Connell (capt), Mick O'Driscoll, Donncha O'Callaghan, Chris Wyatt, Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Denis Leamy, Anthony Foley.
