Caelan Doris: Leading British and Irish Lions captaincy contender a doubt for summer tour of Australia after injury update
Published 05/05/2025 at 18:13 GMT+1
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British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell has been dealt a potential blow ahead of the summer’s highly anticipated tour of Australia after Leinster confirmed Caelan Doris would require shoulder surgery. The back-rower sustained the injury during Leinster’s loss to Northampton Saints in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup on Saturday. Farrell will name his squad on Thursday.
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Ireland and Leinster captain Caelan Doris could be a doubt for this summer’s British and Irish Lions tour of Australia after his club confirmed he would need to undergo a shoulder operation.
Doris, 27, is widely considered to be among the leading candidates for the Lions captaincy but picked up an injury during Leinster’s 37-34 defeat at home to Northampton Saints in the semi-final of the Champions Cup.
Lions head coach Andy Farrell will name his touring squad for the three-Test series on Thursday.
Leinster issued an update on Doris ahead of their United Rugby Championship clash at home to Zebre Parma on Saturday.
"Definitely ruled out of the game is captain Caelan Doris who will undergo a procedure this week on a shoulder injury picked up in Saturday’s game against Northampton Saints," the statement said.
"The full extent of the injury, and implications for the summer, won’t be known until after the procedure."
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Doris scored a try during the surprise loss to Northampton but was forced off at the Aviva Stadium with around 20 minutes still to play.
The back-rower had been tipped by many to skipper the Lions, having been given the Ireland armband by Farrell.
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England captain Maro Itoje is also among the contenders to lead the Lions against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies, who showed glimpses of what they are capable of during the Autumn Nations Series, picking up an epic win over Steve Borthwick's side at Twickenham and thumping Wales in Cardiff.
This latest injury development will therefore be a concern for Farrell, who will take centre stage on Thursday when he announces the players that are set to don the iconic red jersey.
The three Tests take place on successive Saturdays on July 19, July 26 and August 2, with Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney the host cities.
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