Ireland will welcome a familiar face back this autumn after Simon Zebo was named in the squad for the first time in more than four years.
The 31-year-old winger has scored nine tries in 35 Test appearances for his country but hasn't been capped since he faced Japan in June 2017, one year before he completed a move to French giants Racing 92.
But Ireland coach Andy Farrell appears eager to get Zebo back involved for the national team following his return to Munster this past summer, having recently scored two tries in his second debut for the province.
Johnny Sexton will return as captain for the upcoming Tests against Japan (Nov. 6), New Zealand (Nov. 13) and Argentina (Nov. 21), each of which will be played at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.
The Leinster stalwart has 99 caps for his country and will become just the seventh player to reach a century for Ireland with his next international appearance.
Zebo made his international debut against the All Blacks back in June 2012, while he scored his first try for Ireland against Argentina in November of the same year.
Farrell has included just two potential debutants in his 38-man squad, with Leinster duo Dan Sheehan and Ciaran Frawley the only inclusions yet to be capped at senior level.
A foot injury has ruled Leinster centre Robbie Henshaw out of the series following his involvement with the British and Irish Lions, robbing Ireland of one of their most prized talents.
The Ulster pairing of Nathan Doak and Jacob Stockdale will be disappointed to miss out, as will team-mate Billy Burns, who has fallen out of the rotation at fly-half.
“It has been a short lead in to this international window but that is the challenge, to get back up to speed quickly and build on the performances from the Six Nations and the Summer Tests," Farrell told reporters on Wednesday.
Do you think Johnny Sexton will start for Ireland at the 2023 Rugby World Cup? Let us know in the comments section.
"This is the start of an exciting period for the group as we begin to build towards the Rugby World Cup in France.
“In September we got together and mapped out what was coming up in this window, the exciting fixtures that lay ahead in the next 12 months and beyond that the opportunities to improve as a group over the next five windows we will have together."
The coach has also named six players who made their senior debuts during the July Tests against Japan and the United States: Robert Baloucoune, Harry Byrne, Gavin Coombes, James Hume, Tom O’Toole and Nick Timoney.
Ulster team-mates Baloucoune and Timoney each scored on debut against the Eagles, while Munster No. 8 Coombes has been tipped as a potential long-term successor to CJ Stander, who retired earlier this year.
Fly-half Byrne—the younger brother of Leinster team-mate and fly-half rival Ross—will compete with Munster's Joey Carbery in the battle to prove themselves worthy of picking up Sexton's No. 10 mantle.
Former Ireland centre Gordon D'Arcy recently wrote that Sexton, 36, may need to "channel his inner Tom Brady" and play through to the 2023 Rugby World Cup with no realistic heirs apparent at present.
Ireland's next three games will be key preparation ahead of the 2022 Six Nations, where the team hope to improve on their third-place finish at this year's tournament.
“In a few weeks’ time we will face an exciting and well coached Japan team who showed in July what a dangerous team they are," Farrell added.
"New Zealand dominated the Rugby Championship losing just one game while Argentina are battle hardened from playing the southern hemisphere’s Big 3 week in week out over the past two months.
“It would be fantastic to play in front of a full-house at the Aviva Stadium. We had small crowds back in for the games in July and even that made a huge difference to the team and the atmosphere in the stadium.”
Ireland's 38-man autumn squad
Backs
Bundee Aki (Connacht), Robert Baloucoune (Ulster), Harry Byrne (Leinster), Joey Carbery (Munster), Craig Casey (Munster), Andrew Conway (Munster), Keith Earls (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster), James Hume (Ulster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), Jordan Larmour (Leinster), James Lowe (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Conor Murray (Munster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Johnny Sexton (Leinster), Simon Zebo (Munster)
Forwards
Ryan Baird (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jack Conan (Leinster), Gavin Coombes (Munster), Ultan Dillane (Connacht), Caelan Doris (Leinster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ulster), Rob Herring (Ulster), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Dave Kilcoyne (Munster), Peter O'Mahony (Munster), Tom O'Toole (Ulster), Andrew Porter (Leinster), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
