Dan Sheehan going through his paces during a Leinster training session in December. Photo: Sportsfile

Dan Sheehan has put himself in contention for a return to the Ireland set-up as interim head coach Simon Easterby gets set to name his Six Nations squad this afternoon.

Sheehan has been out of action since damaging his ACL during Ireland’s first Test defeat in South Africa last July, but the hooker has made a swift recovery and is now back training fully with Leinster.

It remains to be seen if the 26-year-old features in Leinster’s Champions Cup meeting with Bath at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday evening, but given that Ireland’s Six Nations opener at home to England on February 1 is still over two weeks away, Easterby will give Sheehan every chance to prove his fitness.

James Lowe is set to be included in the Six Nations squad as the Leinster winger is also nearing a return from the calf issue that has sidelined him since Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series.

Easterby is not expected to make wholesale changes as he takes over on a temporary basis from Andy Farrell who has begun his Lions sabbatical.

Craig Casey’s knee injury means there is an opening at scrum-half, with Ulster’s Nathan Doak, Connacht’s Caolin Blade and Ben Murphy, as well as Leinster duo Luke McGrath and Fintan Gunne in the mix. Caelan Doris will captain Ireland, having taken over from Peter O’Mahony as skipper in November.