Blair Kinghorn's scan results revealed as Lions take action ahead of opening Australia Test

However, they have taken the decision to fly out another player to Australia as cover for what is becoming a problematic position, with Ireland’s Jamie Osborne jetting into Brisbane on Saturday.

Kinghorn hurt his knee in the early stages of Wednesday’s win over the ACT Brumbies in Canberra and was replaced after 24 minutes. The in-form Toulouse man looked in pole position to be Lions’ first-choice 15 when the Test series against the Wallabies starts next weekend, but his condition will still need to be managed despite some optimism after his scan.

Lions head coach Andy Farrell has already lost full-back Elliot Daly to a tour-ending injury and Hugo Keenan, who is starting for the Lions against an Invitational XV, is the only other out-and-out 15 in the squad. England’s Marcus Smith can play there, as can Osborne, although the 23-year-old has started the majority of his senior matches at centre.

A statement on the Lions’ website on Thursday lunchtime read: “Blair Kinghorn received positive news following a scan on a knee injury sustained against the Brumbies in Canberra on Wednesday night. The Lions medical team will manage his return to training over the coming days.

“Ireland’s Jamie Osborne will join the squad to provide additional training cover. Osborne is currently with the Ireland squad in Portugal and will arrive in Brisbane on Saturday to meet up with the squad.”

Kinghorn remains in good spirits

Earlier in the day, Farrell had given an update on Kinghorn after selecting his team to play in Adelaide this weekend.

“Blair is okay, he’s not too bad,” explained Farrell. “He’s actually gone for a scan as we speak now, so we’re waiting as regards to the news on that, but the same as he always is. Like I said yesterday, he’s in good spirits, so we’ll wait and see what the outcome is of that.

“I don’t think it’s as bad as what could have been. It was something innocuous really, just a rugby accident that was unfortunate, so fingers crossed when we get back to the hotel that we get some good news.”

Kinghorn is one of two Scotland players who appear in the box seat to start against the Wallabies a week on Saturday in Brisbane. Stand-off Finn Russell will play no part against the Invitational XV ahead of Australia - a sure sign that he is Lions’ first-choice Test No 10.

However, five other Scots will start in Adelaide - centre pairing Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu, winger Duhan van der Merwe, scrum-half Ben White and prop Pierre Schoeman. Another Scotland internationalist in lock Scott Cummings is on the bench, alongside fly-half Owen Farrell.

The 33-year-old Saracens and England fly-half only arrived in the southern hemisphere last Friday following the arm fracture which ended Daly’s tour prematurely. He has quickly had to get up to pace with his team-mates, who are unbeaten in four outings Down Under with one remaining before the first Test in Brisbane.

Owen Farrell continues to dominate agenda

Farrell Snr has resisted the temptation to throw his son, who has been drafted in as cover at inside centre, into his starting line-up at the earliest opportunity, but is confident he is ready to make a 19th Lions appearance if and when required.

He said: “He’s the same as everyone else who’s had to get up to speed pretty quickly. Everyone had to at the start, obviously, and then a few have come in since. I think the art at this stage of the tour is mentally being as switched on as you possibly can for all, not just the lads who are new to the group, because of the nature of the preparation, so there’s not that much training that you can do.”

Farrell Jnr, who stepped away from international rugby after the 2023 World Cup to prioritise his and his family’s well-being, is on his fourth Lions tour after making his debut in Australia in 2013 and his father, who was an assistant coach on that trip, admits that experience will serve him well 12 years on.

He said: “He was, I suppose, lucky enough to play when he was very young. You need the stars to align, as far as that’s concerned. When your first one starts, I suppose it allows you to have a look-in at that type of thing.”