Caelan Doris expected to lead Ireland against New Zealand at Soldier Field in Chicago

Caelan Doris is expected to lead Ireland against New Zealand in Chicago on Saturday after being confirmed fit for the Soldier Field game.

Doris underwent shoulder surgery following Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton on May 3 and has not played since, but was among the 36 players who trained at the SeatGeek Stadium in Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, giving Andy Farrell a full strength squad to carry the loss of Mark Hansen.

Speaking to reporters in Chicago, forwards coach Paul O’Connell said: “Everyone is training and everyone is ready to go.

“(Doris) has been through a very good return to the game now and he’s had a good couple of weeks,” he added. “There has been very little care for him, or anything like that, or there has been none.

“There’s one school of thought that says you start a guy like that because he could come on after a minute anyway, and there’s another school of thought that says you take him off the bench. He’s fine, he’s been training really well, he’s doing really well, he hasn’t shown any side effects whatsoever.”

Farrell is due to name his team on Thursday and will be aware that the All Blacks, who finished second in the Rugby Championship on points difference behind South Africa, have the advantage of match fitness over his side.

“It’s definitely a challenge and that’s why we’re over a bit early,” O’Connell added. “It allowed us to get over the jet lag or get over most of the jet lag and have two very good, fast training sessions with a good bit of contact in them and get the boys up to speed.

“It’s definitely a challenge, but I guess the sessions we’ve put in are designed to help the guys on that journey.”