Byron withdrawal dilemma rocks Laois

LAOIS’ hopes of retaining the Leinster SFC title this summer could be hit by the news that Allstar goalkeeper Fergal Byron is considering dropping himself off the panel for personal reasons.

Byron has indicated to manager Mick O’Dwyer that he may not be available for this year’s championship campaign because his wife is expecting triplets in June.

However, O’Dwyer is hoping to come to some arrangement with the player to retain his services.

“We understand Fergal’s position entirely,” said selector Declan O’Loughlin.

“But we hope to sit down and talk to him and work out something. Fergal is not a player we would like to lose at any time.

“He is invaluable as a leader and was the real driving force in the dressing room behind us last year. I’d be optimistic that we could work something out.”

The news comes at a time when the Laois management are considering taking disciplinary action against three players who missed training last Monday night.

O’Dwyer and his selectors are understood to be fuming over the absence of Portlaoise trio Colm Byrne, Colm Parkinson and Martin Delaney from training after they had missed a weekend club league game.

Meanwhile, Dublin footballer Johnny Magee continues to be sidelined by a knee injury sustained in a challenge game.

Magee was expected to return to training with the county team at the end of last week.

However, his return has been postponed for at least a fortnight after he failed to recover sufficiently from the knock.

Magee injured his knee playing a club challenge game with Kilmacud Crokes and faces another two weeks on the sidelines.

There is further bad news for Tommy Lyons and his management team ahead of the resumption of the Allianz NFL.

The knee ligament damage suffered by Tom Mulligan against Kerry is worse than originally anticipated and he will be out of action for five weeks.

Eamonn O’Hara is expected to return to the Sligo team for a challenge match against Longford at Markievicz Park on Sunday.

The former Allstar has been out for several months due a groin injury and hasn’t played since the All-Ireland championship qualifier against Donegal last June.