Ulster and Ireland have been hit by the news that versatile back Will Addison had suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury.
The Ireland international will miss the end of the Six Nations next month and November's Nations Cup, with Ulster confirming that he will be out of action for "several" more months.
Addison has been out with the injury since before Irish rugby's restart. Dan McFarland will also be without first-choice out-half Billy Burns (calf) and Stuart McCloskey (elbow) for the PRO14 opener against Benetton on Friday night.
Both were injured in the province's Heineken Champions Cup quarter-final loss in Toulouse the weekend before last.
Tom O’Toole, who suffered an ankle injury in the PRO14 final loss to Leinster, will be unavailable for several weeks, while Tom Stewart (hamstring) was injured in training on Monday and is also absent for the time being.
Andrew Warwick (hip), Luke Marshall (hip), Angus Curtis (knee), and Robert Baloucoune (hamstring) were already injured, and also added to the ever-expanding list is Kyle McCall (concussion) and Ethan McIlroy (ankle), who were injured in Ulster A's interpro victory over Leinster last weekend.
