Burke back between the posts for Mayo

GOALKEEPER Peter Burke is expected to return to the Mayo team for the Connacht champions’ All-Ireland SFC quarter final clash with Tyrone at Croke Park on Saturday.

Burke, a consistently brilliant performer, missed Mayo’s last two games against Galway and Roscommon after he suffered a re-action to a cruciate ligament injury which he had on last year.

Burke’s last game was against New York in the ‘Big Apple’ but now he is fully fit again he is expected to take over from stand-in goalkeeper Fintan Ruddy.

Mayo are due to announce their team tonight after training, but apart from the goalkeeping position, it looks on the cards that manager John Maughan will stick by the side that won the Connacht championship, particularly as he has no injury problems to contend with.

Tyrone manager Micky Harte will name his side tomorrow night after he has received fitness reports on goalkeeper Pascal McConnell and full forward Eoin Mulligan. McConnell, who has made the goalkeeping berth his own since taking over from John Devine, had two teeth dislodged during the course of last weekend’s runaway victory over Laois, while Mulligan limped off in that game after suffering from a dead leg.

Both Armagh manager Joe Kernan and his Fermanagh counterpart, Charlie Mulgrew, report no injury problems ahead of their sides’ quarter final showdown also at headquarters on Saturday.

It will be Armagh’s first game in four weeks but Kernan revealed that the Ulster champions have been going very well in training.

On the other side of the coin it will be Fermanagh’s third outing in four weeks. Manager Mulgrew disclosed that after the Cork game his charges were a “wee bit tired” going into their clash with Donegal but are now back in fine fettle again.

Kilkenny are holding their powder dry and will not select their side to meet Waterford in Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final at Croke Park until later in the week. Manager Brian Cody’s only concern surrounds Allstar centre forward Henry Shefflin, who underwent minor surgery on an eye injury on Monday, after being forced off in the second half of last weekend’s victory over Clare.