Rob Kearney a doubt for Ireland's Rugby World Cup opener against Scotland

Ireland’s veteran full-back Rob Kearney could miss Sunday’s Pool A opener against Scotland in Yokohama, with team management confirming on Tuesday that he is struggling with a calf injury sustained in training.

It is hoped that Kearney, pictured above scoring against Wales, will be fit enough to run at Ireland’s next training session on Wednesday, but a player with a lengthy injury profile may not be risked at the weekend.

"He's got a bit of tightness in his calf," a team spokesman said. "There's no training today. We'll be able to update again (on Wednesday) on how he's going."

Ireland are already without centre Robbie Henshaw, who injured a hamstring in training on Saturday. Henshaw may return for the second pool game, against Japan in Shizouka on Saturday, 28 September.

Like Kearney and Henshaw, winger Keith Earls would have been expected to start against the Scots, but he too appears unlikely to make it.

Earls is still returning to fitness after being injured in Ireland’s final warm-up game against Wales in Dublin. While he was able to run at training on Monday, he has yet to train fully.

On the bright side, fly-half Joey Carbery is expected to be available for selection after recovering from an ankle injury sustained in the friendly against Italy last month.

Kearney is Ireland’s undisputed No.1 full-back and his absence would be a significant setback for head coach Joe Schmidt. 

Should he be unavailable, the likely replacement would be Kearney’s Leinster team-mate Jordan Larmour. Another option is Munster wing Andrew Conway, who has also played at full-back and who looked sharp in the warm-up internationals.

Capped 92 times and selected for his third World Cup, the 33-year-old Kearney has consistently delivered for Ireland since breaking into the team as a 20-year-old in June 2006.

He was part of Ireland’s Six Nations Grand Slam campaigns in 2009 and 2018 and played in all 10 matches. He also started at full-back when Ireland beat New Zealand in 2016 and 2018.

Before that, Kearney’s career was disrupted by persistent injury. After recovering from problems with his knee, he strained his hamstring five times during the 2015/16 season.  

Reflecting in 2018 on the frustration of so many setbacks, he said: "It is a difficult place to be in when you’re running and the only thing you’re thinking about is your hamstrings.

 "You can’t come clean because you won’t get picked then. If you say, ‘I’m not overly confident in my body at the moment', you’re out the door.”

Kearney scored his first international try in almost four years when Ireland beat Wales in Dublin, four days before flying to Japan.