Injuries to Garry Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw will allow Chris Farrell to return to the Ireland XV this weekend.
Joe Schmidt is excited to see Chris Farrell in action against Scotland having revealed that Robbie Henshaw could have played had Ireland not boasted a ready-made replacement.
Ireland coach Schmidt has brought Farrell into the team's centre pairing as the defending Six Nations champions look to bounce back from last week's defeat to England.
Garry Ringrose injured his hamstring in Dublin, leaving a vacancy alongside Bundee Aki. Henshaw had been tipped to move from full-back, but his own ailment - a dead leg - will see him sit out.
Schmidt later confirmed that Henshaw could have been used at a push, yet he welcomed the opportunity to bring Farrell into the side.
Farrell returned to the Ireland team in November following an anterior cruciate ligament injury and he has since been in inspired form for Munster.
"It's just a bit of aggravation after having a knock," Schmidt said of Henshaw. "It's a knock on top of a knock.