Ulster suffer Darren Cave blow

Ulster centre Darren Cave will be sidelined for up to eight weeks following a fractured thumb that he sustained during the recently concluded Pro14 encounter against Munster last weekend.

Ireland international Iain Henderson suffered a head injury in the game game that saw him leave the field at the end of the first quarter and will now undergo return to play protocols.

John Cooney also suffered a second laceration to his head after he removed the protective head gear for the game against Munster which they went on to lose 64-7 but is expected to be fit for the next game against Connacht.

Nevertheless, the Irish regional side has received a boost with Rory Best, Jacob Stockdale and Sean Reidy all expected to be available for Friday's game after making recovering from their respective injuries.

Ulster are currently positioned third in Conference B of the Pro14 table with three wins from five games.