Micko not pushing panic button for injury-plagued Laois

MICK O’DWYER won’t be rushing any of his injured Laois stars back even if it means the Leinster champions playing in Division Two next year.

Two defeats from their opening outings in Division 1B has left Laois with a mountain to climb in the next few weeks. Armagh, Meath and Galway are their next trio of opponents and O'Dwyer's team may have to face all three without a significant number of last year's stalwarts.

None of the nine current convalescents will be available for next week's trip to Crossmaglen.

Ian Fitzgerald, captain last year, pulled out of last Sunday's game against Sligo with a hamstring tear picked up in training during the week while Brian McDonald has sustained a knee complaint.

Both will, however, be back for the March 7 game against Meath.

That tie may also see the return of teenage forward Ross Munnelly, who dislocated a shoulder in an U21 match last December. A consultation with Pat O'Neill last week ended with a recommendation to rest for just three more weeks.

AllStar defender Joe Higgins should also have shaken off a hamstring strain but there are concerns over Darren Rooney's knee injury.

O'Dwyer will also know more regarding defender Aidan Fennelly and Donal Miller this evening. Fennelly is undergoing an exploratory operation on his knee while Miller is having an MRI scan on his cruciate knee injury picked up playing Sigerson Cup last week later this afternoon.

Barry Brennan, an effective substitute in many of last year's games, is still struggling to overcome a persistent back injury while exciting young forward Gary Kavanagh will sit out the entire league before coming back at the end of May.

With most of the injured players' replacements failing to make a favourable impression, and four more of last year's panel already after calling it quits last month, things may get worse before they get better for the county. Not that O'Dwyer is about to reach for the panic button.

"Not at all," claimed the veteran manager. "It's league and that's about the size of it. It'll be a tough one again next week and we won't have any of the other players back either. We won't be gambling with them at this stage. It's too early to be gambling with fellows who may be fit and mightn't be fit. We'll need them in June."

O'Dwyer's lackadaisical approach to league fare is long on the record but Sunday's defeat will still have caused him concern. Slipshod defending and aimless attacking, particularly in the second-half, were all too prevalent as Laois let a 0-5 to 0-3 half-time lead slip.

"It was disappointing alright as we were in a good position at half-time but they were a good, fit team," said O'Dwyer.

"But all the teams we've played are good. Limerick were exceptional last week as well. If you want to do well in the league you have to start preparing in September, I suppose. Simple as that. But will they be there in June? You'd never know.

"Our fitness isn't what it should be of course but those two penalties (scored by Paul Taylor) made the difference. The first one looked a bit dubious but the second one certainly was a penalty. That's the way it goes. You win some, you lose some.

"We're just missing too many top class players from our team and when Ian Fitzgerald and Beano (McDonald) pulled out then we were struggling.

Overall it's a learning process, I suppose and we're finding out a lot about the players we have on our panel."