Leinster senior coach Stuart Lancaster believes a host of Leinster players remain in the frame for the Lions squad and the ex-England supremo has backed Johnny Sexton to make his third tour.

The Ireland captain missed the province’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat to La Rochelle after suffering three head injuries in nine weeks and he will not make his comeback against Connacht this Saturday. That has placed the 35-year-old’s Lions chances in doubt, but Lancaster said he’s training well and looking sharp despite his issues. And he believes there’ll be a strong contingent from the Guinness PRO14 champions.

“If you went through the lads from Leinster who play for Ireland, the lads in the pack, there are quite a few who would definitely be under consideration,” he said.

“If Caelan (Doris) hadn’t had the (head) knocks he had, I think he’d be there as well. The likes of James Ryan and Jack Conan, the front-rows, Rónan (Kelleher), Ports (Andrew Porter), Tadhg (Furlong), Robbie (Henshaw) obviously, Garry (Ringrose), the outside backs.

“Johnny is absolutely training the house down, he’s trained today, his eye is in. I can tell with Johnny when his eye is in, he just sees the game so quickly. From my point of view, he’s a world-class player and he’d be a huge addition. I know there is huge competition in there as well with Finn Russell, Owen Farrell, George Ford was excellent at the weekend for Leicester against Ulster. Dan Biggar is obviously very good.”

Leinster will also be without Rhys Ruddock (calf, 4-6 weeks) and Harry Byrne (hamstring, 3-4 weeks), while Munster have suffered a set-back with the news that RG Snyman will require a minor procedure on his knee that will delay his comeback.