Leinster have announced three players have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of Saturday's Champions Cup opener with Bath at the Aviva Stadium.

Ireland internationals James Ryan and Will Connors are also unavailable through injury.

Six of the Bath Rugby starters will make their Champions Cup debuts in Dublin.

The three Leinster players with Covid are self isolating along with a member of staff who was positive after a further round of testing.

Leinster, who have won the Champions Cup four times, have named a strong side despite several absentees, with Hugo Keenan at 15 and supported on the wings by Jordan Larmour and James Lowe.

Garry Ringrose will be partnered by Ciaran Frawley at centre while Jamison Gibson-Park returns to the line-up at scrum-half where he will link up inside Ross Byrne.

In the pack, Ruddock will skipper the side from his position on the blindside with Josh van der Flier and Caelan Doris in the back row.

Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Tadhg Furlong make up an international front row with Ryan Baird and Ross Molony packing down behind them.

On the bench, there are potential European debuts for the trio of Michael Ala'alatoa, Dan Sheehan and Tommy O'Brien.

Inexperienced Bath backline

Fresh from making his maiden Premiership outing last weekend, Will Butt retains his spot in the centre alongside another first-timer in Max Ojomoh - who featured in the Challenge Cup against Zebre last season.

Orlando Bailey returns at fly-half for his first taste of top-tier European competition, as does wing Will Muir, back rower Richard de Carpentier and hooker Jacques du Toit.

Ben Spencer and Semesa Rokoduguni add experience to the backline with Tom de Glanville - a sole Champions Cup appearance to his name - selected at full-back.

The rest of the tight five have 72 European caps between them. Charlie Ewels leads the side from the second row alongside Josh McNally, while Lewis Boyce and Will Stuart pack down at one and three respectively.

Homegrown duo Tom Ellis and Josh Bayliss complete the pack.

A further five players in Arthur Cordwell, D'Arcy Rae, Ewan Richards, Joe Simpson and Tom Prydie could make their Bath European debuts as replacements.

Leinster: Keenan; Larmour; Ringrose, Frawley; Lowe; R Byrne, Gibson Park; Porter, Kelleher, Furlong; Molony, Baird; Ruddock (capt), van der Flier, Doris.

Replacements: Sheehan, Healy, Ala'alatoa, Toner, Deegan, McGrath, J O'Brien, T O'Brien.

Bath: De Glanville; Rokoduguni; Butt, Ojomoh; Muir; Bailey, B Spencer; Boyce, Du Toit, Stuart; McNally, Ewels (capt); Ellis, De Carpentier, Bayliss.

Replacements: Dunn, Cordwell, Rae, Spencer, Richards, W Simpson, Hamer-Webb, Prydie.