A knee injury has ruled winger Tommy Bowe out of Ireland's opening Six Nations clash with Italy © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Foden: Anything but top spot will be failure

News: O'Driscoll: Ireland in the hunt for title

News: Scotland going back to basics

News: Kidney not giving up on Heaslip

News: Trimble to miss Ireland opener

News: Cronin makes Leinster move

News: Bowe injury scare for Ireland

Players/Officials: Declan Kidney | Tommy Bowe | Jamie Heaslip

Tournaments/Tours: Six Nations

Teams: Ireland

Winger Tommy Bowe is set to miss Ireland's opening two Six Nations matches while No.8 Jamie Heaslip have been ruled out of their first clash with Italy.

Ospreys speedster Bowe, who is struggling with a knee injury, has already been ruled out of Ireland's game with Italy on February 5 and is set to miss the match at home to France the following week.

The British & Irish Lions international will be sidelined for at least two weeks with the Ospreys hopeful he will return to training then. However the Welsh region could not confirm whether Bowe would be back in time to play any part in this year's Six Nations.

"We are hopeful that in a couple of weeks, if he continues to improve as he is, he will be able to get back into some rugby specific training without any reaction or ill effect," the statement read. "The signs are encouraging at this stage, but it is clear that it will be another couple of weeks before we can confirm whether or not this problem will impact on more than just the first couple of Six Nations fixtures."

In a further blow to coach Declan Kidney's plans, Heaslip has been ruled out of the game at the Stadio Flaminio with an ankle injury. The Leinster star also had his injury reviewed by a specialist today who confirmed he will not be available for selection for the Italy game.

Kidney had hoped as recently as Wednesday afternoon that Heaslip would be fit for the game but he has must now continue his rehabilitation in the hope of facing France at the Aviva Stadium on February 13. Ulster's Stephen Ferris remains a concern with a knee problem but is expected to be fit for the Italy clash.

"You never like to see guys injured - we know how much playing for Ireland means to those guys," Kidney said. "They'd be gutted were they to lose out at this stage of the season. But we've also tried to build a squad over the last few years and this will be the test of that. I have a huge belief in the way Irish rugby comes from the grass roots up. Of course there won't be as much video analysis on the new guys so that will be an advantage."

Ireland are set to enter the Six Nations with a lengthy injury list that also includes John Hayes, Shane Horgan, Geordan Murphy, Andrew Trimble, Rob Kearney and Jerry Flannery. Fergus McFadden has been drafted into the senior squad from the 'A' squad as a result of the injury problems with the likes of Keith Earls and Luke Fitzgerald also among those likely to benefit.