Ian McGeechan faces another anxious wait to discover if he has lost any more key men from his Lions squad as up to 17 of the players he is taking to South Africa could be involved this weekend's Heineken Cup semi-finals, which see Cardiff take on Leicester and Munster up against Leinster.

Having already lost Munster scrum-half Tomas O'Leary to a broken ankle a week ago, the head coach will have his fingers crossed during the Croke Park battle between the two leading Irish provinces.

Munster are led by Lions captain Paul O'Connell and even if everyone avoids problems tomorrow there is still the possibility of around 12 Lions being caught up in a potential Munster v Cardiff final.

That is why McGeechan and his management team are refusing to announce O'Leary's replacement until they can be sure that their chosen man is not going to be in harm's way after his name has been revealed.

Leicester, meanwhile, go into their clash with Cardiff without powerful wing Alesana Tuilagi, who had his appeal against a four-week ban dismissed by an RFU panel yesterday.

It means the Samoan international remains suspended until 22 May and also misses the Guinness Premiership semi-final play-off with Bath at Welford Road next Saturday.

Tuilagi was cited and then banned after being found guilty of playing Bath full-back Nick Abendanon without the ball during Leicester's Heineken Cup quarter-final victory earlier this month.