Andy Farrell's Lions captain pick is now obvious as Caelan Doris faces surgery

Maro Itoje may have been handed the Lions captaincy on a platter as Ireland skipper Caelan Doris is set to undergo surgery on his shoulder this week. The pair were duelling to be skipper of the tour to Australia, with head coach Andy Farrell due to announce his leader and the rest of the squad on Thursday at London's O2 Arena.

If Itoje (right) is given the captaincy, he would become the first Englishman since Martin Johnson, in 2001 and also in Australia, to lead a Lions party and Doris' surgery increases the probability of it happening. Ireland No.8 Doris was injured in Leinster's surprise 37-34 defeat to Northampton on Saturday. Leinster are refusing to put any time scale on Doris' return but Farrell will have all fingers crossed the Ireland star makes it as he was close to being nailed down as a Test starter, captain or not.

Itoje may have been ahead of Doris in the captaincy stakes before the Irishman's injury after England finished the Six Nations strongly compared to Ireland.

However, Farrell could yet spring a surprise in what was thought to be a two-horse race. In March, when he announced his coaching staff, Farrell said he thought there were multiple candidates.

Laying down his requirements from a captain, Farrell said: "He's got to have the respect, not just as a player, not just as a leader within the changing room, but a leader in the way that he handles himself in the entirety of what a Lions captain should be."

Doris' Leinster team-mate Jack Conan, who played all three Lions Tests in 2021, is set to make the tour but if Doris is absent, it puts him up the No.8 pecking order.

England's Ben Earl has played many games as a No.8 in Tests, or there could be a fourth tour for veteran Welshman Taulupe Faletau.

The Lions play Argentina in Dublin on June 20 and fly to Australia the next day. Players involved in the Premiership or URC finals will not face the Pumas.