Cats deprived of key players for Galway clash

KILKENNY will be short ten of their All-Ireland winning squad for their opening Allianz NHL game against Galway at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

Defenders Noel Hickey, PJ Delaney and Donnacha Cody and midfield players Derek Lyng and Michael Kavanagh are ruled out through injury, while the Ballyhale Shamrocks contingent of Henry Shefflin, Cha Fitzpatrick, Michael Fennelly and Eoin and TJ Reid are club-tied.

Galway have also been badly hit by absentees. With several players — including Joe Canning, Damien Hayes and Ollie Canning — ruled out through the involvement of Portumna and Cappataggle in the All-Ireland club series, Galway have been further hit by a number of injuries.

Brian Mahon remains out with a broken collar bone and another defender Fergal Moore is doubtful with a hip injury which forced him to retire early in the Walsh Cup defeat by Kilkenny. Midfielder Eoin Forde has been ruled out because of mumps, while the experienced Mark Kerins (groin) and Kevin Hynes (thigh) are also doubtful.

Sunday’s game at Pearse Stadium will be their first home match of the year, having had to travel to play Offaly, Wexford and Kilkenny over the last three Sundays in the Walsh Cup.

Cork will not name their side to play Dublin at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday until tomorrow night as a number of players including Eoin Keane from St Finbarr’s and Tadgh Óg Murphy of Sarsfields are due to undergo fitness tests. Both missed last Sunday’s challenge with Portumna because of injury.

Clare will be without team captain Brian O’Connell for their opener against Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds. The Wolfe Tones midfielder is not due home from Australia until another week or two.

Limerick will line out without the services of regular full-back Brian Geary, currently on his honeymoon, while Ollie Moran will miss the start of the league after having surgery for the removal of a cartilage.

Eoin McGrath will be a notable absentee from the Waterford team to play Tipperary at Walsh Park. The Mount Sion forward recently underwent an operation to correct a hip injury and will be out of action for some time. Manager Davy Fitzgerald must also plan without his De La Salle players John Mullane, Kevin Moran and Brian Phelan who are club-tied.

All star Eoin Kelly, Seamus Callinan and Shane McGrath will be missing from the Tipperary team because of injury, while veteran defenders Eamonn Corcoran and Paul Ormonde have called it a day.

Wexford have been dealt a major blow with the news that Barry Lambert has been ruled out for the entire league campaign. Lambert’s ongoing injury problems could even see him miss out on the Model County’s Leinster quarter-final clash with Offaly.

The versatile St Martin’s clubman, who can operate in midfield or attack, saw his 2008 campaign decimated by a groin problem. And now Lambert has been laid low by a persistent shoulder problem which requires surgery.

Wexford manager Colm Bonnar revealed that Lambert, who is expected to meet with a top surgeon this week, will be out for “three or four months” after a pin is inserted in his shoulder to prevent it from popping out of place.

Bonnar said: “It’s been popping for a while and we need to find a solution to the problem. He’s meeting the surgeon in the next week and at least once Barry gets it right he can start training. He will miss the entire league campaign and is looking towards the championship at this stage.”

Wexford begin their Division 2 campaign away to Kerry in Tralee next Sunday and Bonnar must also plan without other long-term concerns Keith Rossiter, Paul Roche and Darren Stamp, who are not expected to be involved until the end of March.

Bonnar’s league preparations have also been hampered by the poor weather which has put paid to challenge games. But the Tipperary native has challenged his players to regain their top-flight status.

Bonnar said: “This is what they’ve been training for. This is the start of it and while we have a few long trips ahead, away to Kerry, Antrim and Down, it’s important that we don’t drop points along the way. Ourselves, Antrim, Laois and Offaly went down and will be doing everything in their power to get back up.”