Ireland boss Andy Farrell is optimistic most of his sidelined stars will be fit and firing for a crunch Murrayfield showdown with title rivals Scotland.
Mack Hansen insists in-house Grand Slam talk remains relatively muted after his two tries helped Ireland stutter past Italy to remain in pole position for Guinness Six Nations glory.
Grand Slam-chasing Ireland avoided a major upset to keep themselves on course for Six Nations glory with a disjointed 34-20 bonus-point win over Italy.
With Leinster already dominating the United Rugby Championship log, this weekend's fixtures will be crucial to see if the Irish provinces follow their national team's lead.
Captain Johnny Sexton insists a stunning 32-19 victory over reigning Grand Slam champions France is "not worth anything" if Ireland do not push on towards the Guinness Six Nations title.
Ireland took another step closer to Guinness Six Nations glory on Saturday as they beat reigning Grand Slam champions France 32-19 in Dublin.