McCarthy and Hansen sit out training in Melbourne

Joe McCarthy and Mack Hansen both sat out training in Melbourne on Monday, but the British and Irish Lions are hopeful the Ireland duo will be available for Saturday's second Test against Australia.

Hansen missed the first Test against the Wallabies due to a foot injury, but could come into the selection frame for the Melbourne Cricket Ground this weekend.

McCarthy has also been troubled by a painful foot issue – plantar fasciitis – and departed the 28-19 win on Saturday early in the second half.

"Joe is just recovering from that foot issue he had on the weekend, and that's just a wait and see type of injury," assistant coach Simon Easterby said.

"He's been pretty good, and he knew what it was initially, and he tried to play through it, and it's one of those where it was better off that he came off.

"If he's felt something like that before, he might have realised what it was and then it becomes something that he can probably manage, and he knew that he wasn't fully functional, even if he wasn't too bad.

"He didn't train today, but there's no reason why later in the week... like anything, with those types of injuries, there's a little bit of grey around how long they take, and it's really the individual recovery that will allow us to decide whether it's right to pick him or not.

"Mack (above) wasn't involved today, so he's definitely on the right road to recovery, but tomorrow's game was probably slightly too soon for him.

"He's certainly on track [for the second Test]. It's probably one of those where we just have to get through the next 24-48 hours and then make a decision based on how he's recovering based on the stuff he's been doing over the last few days."

Neither player will be involved in Tuesday’s mid-week game against the First Nations and Pasifika XV, but the Lions have been boosted with the return of Blair Kinghorn and Garry Ringrose.

Kinghorn starts at full-back after recovering from a knee injury, while Ringrose has come through the return to play protocols following concussion, and is named among the replacements.

Both players have missed the last two games, but could come into contention for a place in the Test side on Saturday having impressed in earlier tour games.

And Easterby (above) insists that places remain up for grabs, either in Saturday’s second Test, or next week in Sydney.

He said: "You get to this stage in any tour, but there is still loads to be played out.

"There's an opportunity for guys to play in a Lions jersey tomorrow, and opportunities for those performances to get a return on being involved next Saturday and the week after.

"There's still so much to play for, for us as a team, but for guys individually as well.

"I think it's probably unspoken, but they know it's there. They know that there's an opportunity.

"They know that every time they get an opportunity to perform, I think Faz [head coach Andy Farrell] in his selection has, on the whole, given guys opportunities based on a number of things, but one of them being some of the performances that they've created on tour.

"I don't think it will be any different tomorrow, with the prize potentially of being involved in the second or third Test.

"The selection meeting won't happen until after tomorrow night.

"That can't happen because we need to make sure that we're fully focused on that game and giving guys that are involved in that game an opportunity."

With the call-up of Gregor Brown on Sunday bringing the current squad to a heaving 45 players, Tuesday’s game will be a first Lions appearance for five of the recent arrivals, including Irish pair Jamie Osborne (above) and Thomas Clarkson.

And while Easterby admits some players are likely to be let go from the group later this week, he says the Leinster pair have deserved their chance to impress.

"I'm really pleased with the two of them," said the former Ireland and Lions flanker.

"They fully deserve being here and no doubt they'll perform really well tomorrow.

"Tom's fought through a pretty tough position at Leinster, nevermind in the Irish squad, and he's put in some brilliant performances.

"He's fought for everything and in a pretty tough position where being a tighthead probably takes a good few years to learn your trade, he's certainly in a really good place.

"Jamie has had a brilliant couple of years.

"The performances he had in South Africa last summer, his performance for Leinster playing 12, 13, wing, 15, it was pretty impressive, the positions he can cover and the quality that he brings to the group as well."

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