Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has recalled Jonathan Sexton, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip for Saturday’s Six Nations game against France in Dublin.
Fly-half Sexton, 29, is back from a 12-week lay-off after suffering a concussion and replaces Ian Keatley.
Flanker O’Brien will play his first Ireland game in 16 months as he takes over from Tommy O’Donnell while number eight Heaslip replaces Jordi Murphy.
Hooker Rory Best will start after recovering from a concussion.
Schmidt usually demands all his players train the Tuesday before a Test in order to merit selection, but the Kiwi has made an exception for trusted player Best, who took a blow to head in the 26-3 win over Italy last weekend.
Ireland’s most-capped hooker will make his 80th Test appearance at the weekend after being forced off in the second half in Rome.
Cian Healy is set to play his first rugby since September after being named in the replacements.
Prop Healy has been out since undergoing hamstring surgery in the autumn.
O’Donnell and Keatley drop out of the match-day squad with Ian Madigan and back row Murphy included in the replacements.
Ireland coach Schmidt expressed confidence about Sexton’s readiness for Saturday’s game.
The Racing Metro star hasn’t played a match since sustaining a third concussion in 12 months in Ireland’s win over Australia on 22 November.
“Johnny’s very fit, he’s done a lot of training with us, he’s spent the last 12 weeks training; he just hasn’t done any contact,” said the Ireland coach.
“He’s done plenty of contact this week and he’s primed and ready to go.
“I think he’s feeling very fresh. Sometimes the reverse can happen when you do a lot of contact and you feel very beaten up.”
Schmidt also revealed that Best completed a full-contact session on Thursday and will be fully clear to play providing he suffers no further concussion symptoms.
“He’s ticked all the boxes of the protocols of the return to play,” added the Ireland coach.
Flanker O’Brien, who will celebrate his 28th birthday on Saturday, was scheduled to make his return to Ireland action in Rome but was ruled out after feeling a hamstring twinge in the pre-match warm-up.
Heaslip, 31, was not risked in Rome after being bothered in recent weeks by a shoulder issue.
Ireland: R Kearney; T Bowe, J Payne, R Henshaw, S Zebo; J Sexton, C Murray; J McGrath, R Best, M Ross; D Toner, P O’Connell (capt); P O’Mahony, S O’Brien, J Heaslip.
Replacements: S Cronin, C Healy, M Moore, I Henderson, J Murphy, I Boss, I Madigan, F Jones.
