These are your evening rugby headlines on Wednesday, May 7. Maro Itoje is set to be named Lions captain on Thursday, it is being reported. The Press Association say the England skipper expected to be given the honour when the squad for this summer’s tour to Australia is announced in London. Itoje will attend a captain's dinner in the capital on Wednesday night, alongside former skippers Martin Johnson, Brian O’Driscoll, Sam Warburton , Alun Wyn Jones and Gavin Hastings. Itoje became the frontrunner for the role after leading England with distinction during the Six Nations, guiding the team to a runners-up finish in his maiden spell as starting skipper. Simplifying the decision to place the 2017 and 2021 Lions tourist in charge is the shoulder injury sustained by his main rival for the post Caelan Doris, with surgery likely to rule the Ireland number eight out of the entire trip. Head coach Andy Farrell will unveil a squad of between 37-40 players at a lunchtime event at indigo at The O2 in London that will be watched by a crowd of 2,000. The captain alone will be present on stage with players only finding out if they will be part of the 10-fixture tour that opens against Argentina in Dublin on June 20 when the names are read out on Sky Sports. Doris’ horribly-timed injury is set to rob the Lions of their Test number eight, but also raises the prospect of Taulupe Faletau embarking on his fourth tour with the elite of British and Irish rugby. Farrell senior has said that all qualified players are being considered, giving hope to those tied to French clubs of making the cut when the successful names are read out by Lions chair Ieuan Evans. Apart from Farrell’s son Owen, this opens the doors to the likes of Toulouse’s Blair Kinghorn and Jack Willis, even though they would most likely miss the start of the tour because of their Top 14 commitments. Courtney Lawes and Manu Tuilagi are also possibilities to make a squad that is expected to be comprised mainly of players from Ireland and England, with Scotland contributing a healthy contingent and Wales supplying as few as two or three. Andy Farrell has been hit by a third late injury blow on the eve of announcing his British & Irish Lions squad, with England lock George Martin ruled out of the tour of Australia. The Leicester star was in consideration for a place and had been tipped to star by the likes of former Lions captain Sam Warburton, but faced a race to return to fitness in time having had his season disrupted by knee and shoulder injuries. However, MailSport reports that Martin - who last played in February - will not be available for the Lions, or indeed England's summer tour of Argentina and the USA, in the latest injury headache for Farrell. Join WalesOnline Rugby's WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free It comes after leading captaincy candidate Caelan Doris underwent surgery on a shoulder injury earlier this week to leave his chances of making the tour hanging by a thread, while Ireland wing Mack Hansen has also joined the casualty list, suffering an ankle injury that is set to keep him sidelined for five weeks. There are further injury concerns in the back three, with Duhan van der Merwe looking to battle back to fitness from an ankle injury, while George Furbank, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Blair Kinghorn are all currently sidelined. In midfield, England's Ollie Lawrence has already been ruled out after having surgery on his Achilles, while Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones have also been injured. Welsh scrum-half Dane Blacker is returning to the Scarlets from the Dragons this summer, the region has confirmed. The 26-year-old played 56 games over four years in West Wales, scoring 15 tries, but moved to Rodney Parade in 2023. He has made 33 appearances for the Men of Gwent over the last two years, but now has decided to return to Parc y Scarlets for a second stint. Blacker - who was called up to the Wales squad by Wayne Pivac in 2022 but has never been capped - is the third new signing for Dwayne Peel's side, with Jake Ball also returning for a second spell with the region alongside fellow Welsh international Joe Hawkins. Macs Page, Joe Roberts, Tomi Lewis, Eddie James, Taine Plumtree and Kemsley Mathias have all also signed new deals to stay with the region. “I’m really excited to be returning to the Scarlets – a club I’ve truly enjoyed playing for in the past," said Blacker as his signing was confirmed. “It feels great to be coming back to such a passionate rugby environment, with incredible fans who always bring energy and support. I’m looking forward to being part of an exciting team and future.” Head coach Peel added: “We are delighted to welcome Dane back to the Scarlets – we were disappointed to see him leave a couple of years ago. He showed then the calibre of player he is, pushing himself into international contention and scoring some great tries. “He is going to add to the quality in our scrum-half pool with Gareth and Archie here and Rhodri Lewis also pushing hard for opportunities.” Munster and Ireland prop Dave Kilcoyne has announced he will retire from professional rugby at the end of the season. The 36-year-old has won 56 caps for Ireland, representing his country at the last two Rugby World Cups and helping them to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023, the same year he won the URC title with Munster. He is one of only 15 players to have made over 200 appearances for the Irish province, but has struggled with injury in recent years and played his final match for Munster against Ulster in December. "Growing up living in Limerick, my dream was always to play for Munster and Ireland," said Kilcoyne as he confirmed his retirement. "To have done so for so long has been a dream come true. "The last two years haven't gone as planned with surgeries to my shoulder and Achilles. In a way, it's easier that the decision to play on has been taken away from me. "I take great pride in knowing that I always gave everything I had and left nothing on the pitch. It's almost a fitting way for me to finish up."