Cavanagh boost for Tyrone

TYRONE have no injury worries ahead of next Sunday week’s All-Ireland SFC final against holders Kerry.

Mickey Harte confirmed last night that Sean Cavanagh will be fully fit to take his place, more than likely as full forward where he has been starting in most of Tyrone’s games this season.

Cavanagh was injured in the semi-final victory over Wexford and interviewed last night at the team’s press night in Carrickmore he admitted that at one stage he feared he would miss out on playing in the final.

Coming after the injury he got against Westmeath, when he admitted to having been scared by the initial report that he could have broken his neck, it was more upsetting to be forced off against Wexford.

“What was really disappointing was that I was enjoying the game so much and it was devastating that I had to come off. The first thing going through your mind is “that’s it, I am going to miss the final’.

“I could hardly walk at the time and I had dislocated a few fingers.”

Cavanagh explained that he took last week off training but was back with the squad at the weekend and while his fingers are still not 100% right, he has no worries about playing.

“To be honest, it’s going to take an awful lot more than that to keep me out of an All-Ireland final.”

Harte pointed out that for the first time since 2005, they had a clean bill of health leading into the final. However, subsequently they had a lot of serious injuries, some of them at the time career-threatening.

The Tyrone boss pointed out that the 2005 winning team against Kerry included five new players who hadn’t previously played in a final and he hinted that the same number could possibly be included this time.