Keith Earls is set to be ruled out of the Lions' second game of their South Africa tour on Wednesday.

The Ireland centre suffered shoulder joint trouble during the 37-25 victory over a Royal XV in Rustenburg yesterday. The Lions team doctor, James Robson, expects Earls to be out of action for two or three days. The Lions' next match is against the Golden Lions in Johannesburg.

Earls, who had a poor game at the Royal Bafokeng Sport Palace, was the most notable casualty on a lengthy list that Robson described today as "just bumps and bruises".

Other players suffering knocks were the scrum-half Mike Blair, who rolled his ankle, the centre Riki Flutey, who will miss training today because of a slight strain, while the captain, Paul O'Connell, required anaesthetic drops to an eye abrasion.

Elsewhere, the fly-half Ronan O'Gara took a bang on his shoulder while Mike Phillips is progressing well from a dead leg and Andrew Sheridan has blisters on his feet.

Robson, meanwhile, delivered an upbeat assessment of two players who missed the Royal XV match through injury. The Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris is now fit after suffering a leg muscle strain getting off the team bus last week. Robson said: "It was an early contender for bizarre injury of the tour."

Meanwhile the Wales No8 Andy Powell is back in training today doing weights after picking up a hand injury that denied him a starting place yesterday.

The Lions remain hopeful that Powell's Cardiff Blues colleague Leigh Halfpenny will join the squad in South Africa. Halfpenny remained at home when the Lions flew out last Sunday in order to have intensive treatment on a thigh injury.

Robson added: "Leigh is doing very well, by all accounts. He did a very good kicking session on Friday, he had a day off yesterday and he is now going to repeat his kicking and place kicking session."