Best was injured during Sunday's 36-6 victory over Italy
Ireland have included
injury doubt Rory Best in their starting line-up as they name an
unchanged team for the World Cup quarter-final against Wales.
Best injured his shoulder during the 36-6 Pool C win over Italy on Sunday. The hooker's AC joint is responding well to treatment, but Sean Cronin is on standby if Best does not recover.
Ireland coach Declan Kidney, who has to submit a team 48 hours before kick-off, said: "The decision could go to the end, we'll make it when we have to."
The Irish are already without first-choice hooker Jerry Flannery, who tore a calf muscle in training ahead of the match against Australia in mid-September.
Kidney added Ulster player Best was making "great progress" but said: "I wouldn't want to tempt fate by rating Rory's chances, but he's not ruled out, which is always the first sign.
"He had a good day yesterday (Tuesday) which everyone was very positive about."
If Best is not fit to face the Welsh then Damien Varley will be named on the bench with Cronin in the starting XV.Ronan O'Gara and Conor Murray retain their places at half-back after impressing during the comprehensive win over the Azzurri, with Jonathan Sexton and Eoin Reddan - who had started the tournament as the first-choice half-back pairing - on the bench.
Kidney said the battle for the outside-half and scrum-half spots was the "most competitive area" in the team.
"I know it's unconventional to use different half-backs at different times," said Kidney.
"When they've been on the pitch they've brought their own things to it.
"For example, Jonathan was hugely strong for us in defence in the last 10 minutes against Italy. Eoin robbed two great balls for us in the last 10-15 minutes.
"Leaving them out isn't easy, but Conor and Ronan have gone quite well for us."
Kidney believed Warren Gatland's men had added unpredictability to their attacking play, making them more dangerous opponents. "They're showing different trends in the way they play, but are more unpredictable than before," he said.
"If it was possible to read them before, it's more difficult now."
Ireland: R Kearney (Leinster); T Bowe (Ospreys), B O'Driscoll (Leinster, capt), G D'Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster); R O'Gara (Munster), C Murray (Munster); C Healy (Leinster), R Best (Ulster) or S Cronin (Leinster), M Ross (Leinster), D O'Callaghan (Munster), P O'Connell (Munster), S Ferris (Ulster), S O'Brien (Leinster), J Heaslip (Leinster). Replacements: S Cronin (Leinster) or D Varley (Munster), T Court (Ulster), D Ryan (Munster), D Leamy (Munster), E Reddan (Leinster), J Sexton (Leinster), A Trimble (Ulster).
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