Ireland head coach Andy Farrell's latest squad selection this week is likely to stir debate about how his team are shaping up with less than a year to go until the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

On Wednesday, Farrell will reveal his panel for next month's Nations Championship home leg, which includes home matches against Argentina, Fiji and back-to-back world champions South Africa before the finals weekend at Twickenham.

Ireland opened their Nations Championship campaign with wins over Australia and Japan before a 40-21 loss to New Zealand in Auckland.

After November, the Six Nations will be Farrell's only extended period of competitive action with his squad before they travel to Australia for the showpiece tournament.

As ever, Farrell has plenty to consider, with the usual injury concerns and several players pushing for inclusion with strong displays during the opening weeks of the season.

Last weekend was particularly pleasing for Farrell, as Leinster, Munster, Connacht and Ulster all began their European campaigns with victories.

Before Wednesday's squad announcement, BBC Sport examines some of the key questions facing the Ireland boss.

Times BST

Ireland v Argentina, 6 November, Aviva Stadium, 20:10

Ireland v Fiji, 14 November, Aviva Stadium, 20:10

Ireland v South Africa, 21 November, Aviva Stadium, 16:40

Nations Championship finals weekend fixture (opponent TBD), 27-29 November, Allianz Stadium Twickenham

Farrell will be without some key men in November.

Having missed the July games with Australia, Japan and New Zealand, captain Caelan Doris is still unavailable as he recovers from knee and foot issues.

With Doris already sidelined, Farrell would have been concerned to see Jack Conan leaving Stade Marcel-Michelin with his arm in a sling after the province's Champions Cup win over Clermont on Saturday.

The potential absence of both Doris and Conan could create an opportunity for Sean Jansen, who scored a try on his Test debut against Japan before featuring off the bench in the All Blacks defeat.

Fly-half Jack Crowley remains unavailable because of a vascular injury, and while first-choice scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park is expected to be included, the 34-year-old has not yet featured for Leinster this season because of a groin strain.

Props Jack Boyle and Paddy McCarthy are still missing, but Farrell can call upon first-choice loose-head Andrew Porter for the first time since last year's defeat by the Springboks in Dublin.

Porter, 30, missed the 2026 Six Nations with a calf problem and, having returned for Leinster in late March, he was ruled out of the July Tests with a similar issue.

Porter's Leinster team-mate Ryan Baird is also available again. The 27-year-old utility forward impressed at blind-side flanker during the 2025 autumn Tests before a fractured tibia forced him to miss the Six Nations. He returned for Leinster late last season but missed the July games.

Popular winger Mack Hansen is also back after an injury-ravaged 2025-26 season comprised of two Test appearances and a single run-out for Connacht.

With Crowley out, Sam Prendergast and Ciaran Frawley will battle for the number 10 jersey in November - and both players have caught the eye in recent weeks.

Prendergast has 17 caps for Ireland but has not had the smoothest introduction to Test rugby. A gifted operator with ball in hand, the 23-year-old's defensive frailties have been targeted by teams in the past and he was dropped by Farrell after a poor start to this year's Six Nations.

However, the Kildare-born out-half has sparkled for Leinster this season, picking up back-to-back man of the match awards in URC and Champions Cup wins over Cardiff and Clermont following displays that have showcased his sharpened running game.

While Prendergast has launched into this season impressively, the opening act of Frawley's Connacht career has been impossible to ignore.

Having moved out west from Leinster to secure regular gametime at 10, the 28-year-old has flourished for Stuart Lancaster's side, scoring four tries and starring in last week's thrilling 45-36 Champions Cup win over Saracens.

Ireland's win over Japan in July was Frawley's first Test start at 10. It would not be surprising to see one or two more next month.

Charlie O'Shea has impressed for Munster in recent weeks but Farrell may feel it is too soon to introduce the 20-year-old to Test rugby, while Joey Carbery could earn a recall despite making only one brief appearance off the bench since rejoining Leinster.

As mentioned above, Jansen is primed to play a key role in the back row, while uncapped Munster number eight Brian Gleeson could be included after impressing again in last week's win over Racing 92.

Gleeson missed out on a possible Test debut 12 months ago when he was forced to withdraw from the squad with an elbow injury.

Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey and Bundle Aki will likely make it as centre options, but Jamie Osborne may merit a run-out at 12 having recently featured there in Leinster's win over Cardiff.

In the front row, former England prop Kieran Brookes is pushing for inclusion.

The 36-year-old, an Ireland underage international before earning 16 caps for England, has showcased his solidity in the scrum since joining Munster in the summer.

Having lost to the All Blacks in July, beating world champions South Africa less than a year out from the next tournament in Australia would be a major statement.

Ireland have won four of their past six meetings with the Springboks but last year's 24-13 reverse in Dublin, before 22 and 19-point losses to France and New Zealand respectively earlier this year were the latest humbling dust-ups with rugby's elite.

Last year's loss to South Africa was a particularly bruising night for Ireland as they picked up five cards and failed to match the might of the Springbok scrum.

While Farrell later praised his side's response to a chaotic first half which they ended with 12 men, claiming South Africa's scalp would be a major declaration of intent heading into a World Cup year.

South Africa have played six Tests since Ireland's last match against New Zealand. The Boks beat Argentina before securing a 3-1 Test series win over the All Blacks.

They did, however, fall to a 42-38 loss to Australia in Perth on 27 September.