A second-half injury to Joey Carbery soured Ireland's 29-10 World Cup warm-up win over Italy Saturday.
The fly-half was the stand-out performer in an experimental home line-up in Dublin, but the 23-year-old left the field in tears after picking up a knock to his ankle.
With Ireland's Johnny Sexton already dealing with a minor injury, the enforced withdrawal of his undisputed understudy will have given head coach Joe Schmidt a fright six weeks before the World Cup in Japan.
But Schmidt said after the game that Carbery's ankle was simply swollen, with x-rays showing no fractures.
"It's too soon to say, but I don't think it's going to keep him out of the World Cup," the New Zealander told Irish national broadcaster RTE.
Before his departure, Carbery had kicked almost flawlessly, scored one try and had a hand in the two other first-half scores, which were completed by wingers Andrew Conway and Dave Kearney.
The Munster No. 10 was unable to put any weight on his left leg after being trapped in a ruck, however.
Carbery was replaced by Connacht's Jack Carty, who made his first international appearance since his debut in February.
While the scrappy encounter petered out with Carbery's exit as Kieran Marmion and Jordi Murphy completed the scoring, man of the match Conway and Kearney impressed in a mostly second-string Irish side. Only one of those two players is likely to make the final World Cup squad, though.
Chris Farrell also looked sharp at centre, another position of depth for the Irish, while others battling for spots in the final squad, such as debutant Jean Kleyn, were fairly anonymous.
Ireland face Scotland and hosts Japan in World Cup Pool A, having been considered one of the favourites for the title before a disappointing defence of their Six Nations title this year.
Recent Six Nations whipping boys Italy, who face the daunting prospect of a World Cup group including New Zealand and South Africa, looked decent at times, having led through first-half Maxime Mbanda and Carlo Canna tries.
But they were also left with injury concerns after centre Marco Zanon was ruled out in the match warm-up.