Caelan Doris, the esteemed captain of the Ireland rugby team, is expected to be out of play for 4 to 6 months following a recent shoulder surgery, as confirmed by his club, Leinster, on Monday. The injury occurred during a tense European Rugby Champions Cup semifinal against the Northampton Saints earlier this month.

At 27 years old, Doris has been a pivotal figure in Irish rugby, also being a strong contender for the British & Irish Lions captaincy against Maro Itoje. Unfortunately, this injury has led to his exclusion from Andy Farrell's 38-man squad scheduled to tour Australia.

Leinster released a statement detailing the situation: "Caelan Doris underwent a procedure last Friday for a shoulder injury that will sideline him for four to six months."

This setback means Doris will miss Ireland's July tests against Georgia and Portugal, and his participation in the November games against New Zealand, Japan, Australia, and South Africa remains uncertain.

For more updates on the British & Irish Lions fixtures and detailed coverage of the squad announcements, stay tuned to our sports section.