Ó Sé facing eight week absence with ankle injury

KERRY midfielder Darragh O Sé is facing up to eight weeks on the sideline after chipping a bone in his ankle in a trial game in Killarney.

The worst fears of team management were confirmed yesterday by a scan which rules the Allstar out of next Sunday’s Munster SFC against Limerick and, if they’re involved, possibly out of the All-Ireland quarter final on the first weekend in August.

O Sé was involved in an accidental collision with Kerins O’Rahillys’ Mike Quirke in a final Kerry trial for the provincial decider on Thursday night in Killarney Initial fears of ligament damage were compounded by yesterday’s confirmation of a chipped bone. Medical experts estimate that a quick healer can be back training within a month, but a more realistic estimate is six to eight weeks.

The blow was described as “very disappointing” yesterday by former Kingdom legend, Eoin Liston, but the more immediate issue for the Kerry selectors is Ó Sé’s replacement at midfield for the clash with Limerick .

Though Donal Daly is returning to fitness, it may be premature to throw him straight back into centrefield next weekend. The other likely options are Eoin Brosnan or Aodhan MacGearailt dropping back into midfield, with Mike Quirke another possibility.

Ironically, Seamus Moynihan might have been a consideration at midfield, but for the fact that the selectors are now likely to return him to full-back for the Limerick game, with Eamonn Fitzmaurice at centre half-back.

“Darragh is to the present Kerry team what Jack O’Shea was to our side. He is a colossus, but I don’t buy into the doom and gloom about his absence. There are enough good players in the panel to compensate. We have ten exceptional forwards and if one of those must revert to midfield then so be it,” insisted Liston

“I’m biased, but I also think that our clubman, Mike Quirke, is eminently capable of moving onto the next level at this stage.”

Meanwhile, Clare hurling star Colin Lynch and Cork footballer Fionán Murray have both been handed three-month suspensions by the GAC.

Lynch received a straight red card after clashing off the ball with Cork midfielder Mickey O’Connell during the Munster championship semi-final.

Meanwhile, Murray got his third red card in less than 12 months after appearing to kick out at Limerick’s Muiris Gavin in the Rebels' disappointing defeat back in May.

lTHE draw for the second round of the Guinness All-Ireland hurling qualifiers has been deferred until Monday. Since the qualifier competitions were introduced, it has been traditional to hold them on RTÉ television on Sunday nights. However, following the controversy over the leaking of the football draw last week, a change has now been made.

The understanding is that RTÉ wished to make the draw live as opposed to pre-recording it, but because of other media considerations, it has been decided to hold it formally in Croke Park at 11 am on Monday.