Leinster may have to wait until January 22 for a return to action as next opponents Montpellier are struggling with more Covid problems in their squad.
The French club are due to play Toulouse in a Top 14 encounter on Sunday but, with Montpellier undergoing further PCR testing tomorrow, a Covid outbreak this week has put that fixture in doubt.
Leinster remain unhappy that they were made to forfeit their Champions Cup pool game at Montpellier on December 17 due to Covid cases in the Blues camp.
Ironically, it is Montpellier who are in danger of forfeiting Sunday week's fixture at the RDS Arena.
Leo Cullen's side have been starved of competitive action since beating Bath in the opening pool game in Europe on December 11, with the Montpellier game plus three URC fixtures - against Munster, Ulster and the Lions - falling foul of Covid.
They may now have to wait until the return game with the Premiership club on the 22nd of this month - meaning it will take them six weeks to return to the fray.
With so many Leinster players in the Ireland squad, it will also leave them very short of game time ahead of the Six Nations that begins in early February.
"We had a few cases last week, at the beginning of the week, and this morning," stated Montpellier director of rugby Philippe Saint-André.
"Some are symptomatic. Things are accelerating and it is also circulating.
"We want to play. We want to avoid the scenario of last season where we postponed six or seven games. But everything is moving very quickly.
“Some were doing very well two days ago and are stuck today. At least 50% of the team will be absent.
"There is a question mark about the European Cup. Some protocols are different.
“If the European Cup is not played, there will be (free) weeks to come."
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