Leinster will have a new captain leading the charge this Saturday in a massive Investec Champions Cup quarter-final. With star number eight Caelan Doris ruled out, the armband passes to dynamic hooker Dan Sheehan for the clash against Sale Sharks at the Aviva Stadium.

Head coach Leo Cullen has been forced into a significant reshuffle, making three changes from the side that powered past Edinburgh in the last 16. The absence of Doris and fellow Irish international Andrew Porter has opened the door for a landmark debut. Twenty-year-old academy prop Alex Usanov, who impressed off the bench last week, will make his first Champions Cup start.

There's a welcome boost in the pack, however, as lock James Ryan returns from a calf injury to partner the formidable Joe McCarthy in the second row. The backline also regains its conductor, with centre Garry Ringrose returning to partner Jamie Osborne.

These changes trigger a strategic domino effect across the lineup. All Blacks star Rieko Ioane shifts from centre to the left wing, Ryan Baird moves into the second row, and Jack Conan switches from blindside flanker to fill the crucial number eight void left by Doris.

Looking to the bench for impact, Cullen recalls experienced trio Ronan Kelleher, Jerry Cahir, and Scott Penny to the matchday squad, adding serious firepower for the final stages of what promises to be a physical European knockout battle.