It is known that he had a procedure at some point on Tuesday, but while he is ruled out of Leinster’s United Rugby Championship trip to the Ospreys this Saturday, it is still uncertain how long Sexton will be out for.

In addition to being a serious doubt for Leinster’s forthcoming Heineken Champions Cup bouts with Gloucester and Racing 92, the Dubliner is expected to be in a race against time to be fit for Ireland’s Six Nations Championship opener against Wales in Cardiff on February 4. Whereas Munster duo Joey Carbery and Jack Crowley are his most likely international deputies, the Byrne brothers – Ross and Harry – will be vying for his starting berth in Leinster.

“He has had a procedure. I can’t tell you what that procedure was, but he has had it on his cheekbone. I don’t know when he will be back fit or anything, but it’s done and it’s over to the medical team now to try to put a timescale on it,” the Leinster assistant coach said at a Leinster media briefing in UCD on Tuesday.

“As with any injury to any player, you feel it for the player involved, but it’s the nature of the sport. These things happen, but the flip side of that is someone else has been given the opportunity to step in and take that role. We are blessed to have plenty of cover in that area so it’s an opportunity for those players to step up and make the most of it.

“A player like Johnny commands respect and it goes without saying how successful he has been and he’s a leader through and through. A winner through and through. It’s an opportunity for someone to step up into that void now.”

This is by no means new territory for Leinster, who have been forced to make do without the services of Sexton on a number of occasions in the past. Of the 13 games they have played across the URC and the Champions Cup thus far this season, Sexton has featured in just five of them with two of his appearances coming as a replacement.

It was a similar situation in previous campaigns, when niggles, rest periods and international duty often prevented him from donning the blue of Leinster. Although McBryde acknowledges his presence alone can be difficult to compensate for, he has called on the rest of the team to get on with the task at hand in Swansea this weekend – and beyond if necessary.

“Because of Johnny’s nature, he’s a winner and very vocal. It will put a little bit more pressure on other people to step up and take over the leadership role. It’s more of a shared workload. I don’t mean that in a bad way, we just need to step up.

“What’s happened has happened, we just need to move on now. You have to be that ruthless. You can’t dwell on anything, you have to say right and move on. Next guy? Yeah. Is he good enough? Yeah. Let’s go then.”

While he would have wanted his former team-mate to be available for this block of fixtures, it is during the business end of the season (following the conclusion of this year’s Six Nations) that Leinster head coach Leo Cullen will want a fully-fit Sexton at his disposal.

By the time he is ready to pick up his 190th Leinster cap, McBryde is confident that some of those on the fringes of the first-team will have further underlined their credentials – and not just in Sexton’s out-half position.

“You can see the potential so many players have and they’re just waiting for that opportunity. It keeps the best players, or the ones that have been selected, on their toes really to perform week-in, week-out. Not only on the field, but in training as well,” McBryde added.

“We’ve seen that in the selection in the last couple of games as well. A lot of boys have been given opportunities. The team has been mixed and matched quite a bit and all told we’re still unbeaten.”