Centre Joe Ansbro (Northampton Saints) and full-backs Hugo Southwell (Stade Francais) and Rory Lamont (Toulon) have all been ruled out.

Ansbro suffered concussion in his club’s loss to Bath at the weekend. Southwell has not recovered from the facial injury he suffered in the defeat to Wales and Lamont sustained a leg injury in his side’s loss against Agen at the weekend.

Scotland team doctor James Robson also reported that six forwards in the squad require further medical assessment and will not train today.

Glasgow Warriors duo Jon Welsh (ribs) and Robert Harley (hip) sustained knocks in their side’s Magners League loss to Connacht; as did Edinburgh flanker Ross Rennie (toe) and Leinster lock Nathan Hines (knee) in their respective games in Limerick and Cardiff in the same competition.

Completing the casualty list are Richie Vernon, the Glasgow Warriors No 8, who sustained a blow to his calf in the international against Wales; and his club-mate, hooker Dougie Hall, who missed the Welsh match on account of a shoulder problem.

Scotland head coach Andy Robinson said: “We have made the decision now that all three of our injured backs will miss this weekend’s international so that brings clarity to our preparations. We wish all of them a speedy recovery. Our medical staff will continue to treat and monitor our injured forwards.

“Everybody was hurting after the display against Wales but we must now focus on the challenge that Ireland bring and there’s absolute determination to bounce back against them at Murrayfield on Sunday.”

Tickets are still on sale for this weekend’s international. You can buy your tickets online via www.scottishrugby.org; via the 24-hour telephone hotline 0844 335 3933 or in person from the Scottish Rugby Ticket Centre at Murrayfield Stadium, which is open from 9am-8pm until Friday and from 10am-4pm on Saturday. Please note there are no ticket sales on match day.

Current Scotland squad: John Barclay, Johnnie Beattie (both Glasgow Warriors), Mike Blair (Edinburgh), Kelly Brown (Saracens), Geoff Cross (Edinburgh), Jack Cuthbert (Bath), Simon Danielli (Ulster), Nick De Luca (Edinburgh), Max Evans (Glasgow Warriors), Ross Ford (Edinburgh),  Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Grove (Worcester Warriors), Dougie Hall, Robert Harley (both Glasgow Warriors), Nathan Hines (Leinster), Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors), Allan Jacobsen (Edinburgh), Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Sean Lamont (Scarlets), Rory Lawson, Scott Lawson (both Gloucester), Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors), Scott MacLeod (Edinburgh), Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues), Chris Paterson, Ross Rennie (both Edinburgh), Richie Vernon (Glasgow Warriors), Nikki Walker (Ospreys) and Jon Welsh (Glasgow Warriors).