Ulster's head coach, Richie Murphy, has confirmed that centre James Hume will be sidelined for "a number of weeks" due to a hamstring injury sustained during training this week. Hume was unable to play in Ulster's opening match of the United Rugby Championship against Edinburgh at the Affidea Stadium on Friday. This injury comes at a difficult time for the team, as Murphy is already without two other midfield players, Jude Postlethwaite and Stewart Moore, who are also out due to injuries. To address the shortage, David Hawkshaw, a centre who joined the team during the summer, has been brought into the squad. Murphy noted that Hume had been in excellent physical condition and had put in a lot of work to prepare for the season. While expressing disappointment about the injury, Murphy emphasized that it could provide an opportunity for other players to step up and gain valuable experience. Murphy suggested that Hume might be back in action before the end of the series of matches leading up to the break for Ireland's November internationals. However, the exact timeline for his return remains uncertain. In a recent squad update, Ulster Rugby confirmed that three other players—Juarno Augustus and summer signings Matthew Devine and Keynan Knox—had returned to team training after recovering from their respective injuries. This development indicates that the team is working to maintain depth and readiness despite the ongoing challenges with injuries.