Caelan Doris among EIGHT Lions hopefuls who are major injury doubts for the tour
Rugby NewsTuesday, 06 May 2025 at 08:17
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With Andy Farrell set to name his British & Irish Lions squad this Thursday, several big names are sweating on their fitness.
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Injuries have hit hard, with some stars already ruled out and others facing a desperate race against time.
Here’s the latest on eight players whose Lions dreams are hanging by a thread.
Caelan Doris – Captain in Crisis?
Ireland skipper Caelan Doris is a huge injury doubt for the Lions tour after Leinster confirmed the back-rower needs a “procedure” on a shoulder issue.
The 27-year-old, tipped by many as a potential Lions captain, was forced off during Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton Saints at Croke Park.
Leinster haven’t confirmed the severity yet, but head coach Jacques Nienaber didn’t sugarcoat it.
“My gut says it’s serious,” he admitted. “Caelan’s not someone who comes off easily – so when I saw him go down, I feared the worst.”
With Farrell set to name his squad in just days, Doris is now in a race against time.
Duhan van der Merwe – Running Out of Time?
Scotland’s record-breaking winger Duhan van der Merwe is battling an ankle injury – and his Lions chances are fading fast.
The 29-year-old, who has , picked up the injury early in Edinburgh’s recent URC win over the Dragons. The club says he’s
“expected to return during May”, but that might be too late.
With James Lowe, Mack Hansen, Tommy Freeman, and Darcy Graham all in electric form, Van der Merwe’s spot is under serious threat.
Sione Tuipulotu – A Quick Healer or Out of Time?
Scotland centre Sione Tuipulotu hasn’t played since January due to a freak pectoral injury – and his Lions hopes are hanging by a thread.
Glasgow boss Franco Smith remains optimistic. “He’ll be back, I’ve got no doubt about that,” he said.
But with Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw, and even Scotland teammate Tom Jordan making strong cases, Tuipulotu might have left it too late.
George Furbank – Still in the Mix?
England full-back George Furbank is another big name under an injury cloud.
The Northampton star missed the Six Nations after breaking his arm in December but made a return last month. However, he’s struggling with a fresh issue and missed Saints’ Champions Cup semi-final win over Leinster.
He hasn’t been ruled out of the Lions squad yet, but time is running out.
Zander & Matt Fagerson – Double Trouble for Scotland
Bad news for the Fagerson brothers.
Zander Fagerson is battling a calf injury suffered in training, just weeks after missing Glasgow’s Champions Cup hammering by Leinster due to concussion. Head coach Franco Smith says he’s out for the “foreseeable future”.
Meanwhile, Matt Fagerson is already ruled out for the season with an ankle injury. His Lions hopes? All but over.
George Martin – Season Over
Leicester lock George Martin is almost certainly out of Lions contention after Tigers boss Michael Cheika all but ruled him out for the season.
Martin suffered a knee injury in the Six Nations but it’s a shoulder problem that has ended his campaign early.
“I think you can put a line through him,” Cheika admitted.
When asked about a Lions call-up, he shrugged: “I don’t know about that. You can draw your own conclusions.”
Ollie Lawrence – Achilles Blow Ends Lions Dream
England centre Ollie Lawrence is definitely
The Bath powerhouse ruptured his Achilles against Italy in the Six Nations and faces 9-12 months on the sidelines.
He summed it up himself on social media: “Lost for words… That’s not how I imagined my season to end.”
With Lawrence out, the Lions’ midfield battle just got even more interesting, with Manu Tuilagi, Henry Slade, and Joe Marchant all in contention.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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