Laois injury woes mount as Higgins out for season

LAOIS manager Mick O'Dwyer's worst fears have been confirmed ahead of his side's clash with reigning champions Tyrone in the final qualifier of the Bank of Ireland All-Ireland series at Croke Park on Sunday.

O'Dwyer lost the services of his team captain Chris Conway because of an emergency appendix operation on the eve of the Leinster final replay in which Westmeath made history by capturing their first provincial crown last weekend.

O'Dwyer was hit by another thunderbolt during that game when full-back Joe Higgins was forced to go off six minutes from the end.

A scan on the All Star defender's injured leg has revealed that he damaged his cruciate and medial ligaments, as well as suffering cartilage damage and will be out of action for the remainder of the season.

However, that is not the end to Micko's ills. Right half-back Darren Rooney has a broken thumb and centre-back Tom Kelly a broken finger.

Both injuries were picked up in the Westmeath game and as a result, could keep the two half-backs out of Sunday's make-or-break encounter.

Tyrone expect to have high-scoring corner-forward Mark Harte back in action. He injured a calf muscle in training a week before the qualifier with Galway and was ruled out of that contest. Now fully fit again, Harte is expected to take over from his replacement Michael Coleman.

Defender Colm McCullough, who also missed the victory over Galway because of a shoulder injury, is given little chance of playing.

Good news for manager Mickey Harte however, is that his inspirational full-forward Peter Canavan played a full club game last weekend and suffered no ill-effects from the ankle he had surgically repaired after last year's All-Ireland triumph.

Both Dublin and Roscommon, who meet in the second qualifier at headquarters, report no injury problems. However, in light of their crushing Connacht final defeat by Mayo it is expected that manager Tommy Carr will announce changes to the Roscommon side.

Because of knocks sustained by Jamesie O'Connor, Niall Gilligan and Alan Markham during last Sunday's absorbing drawn encounter with Kilkenny, Clare manager Anthony Daly has delayed selection of his side for the replay scheduled for Semple Stadium, Thurles on Saturday.

But the Clare manager is confident of having all three available.

And there is a possibility that full- back Brian Lohan, who missed the Kilkenny game because of a hamstring injury, could also be in the frame for selection following an extra week of intense physiotherapy treatment.