Injury worries for Galway

GALWAY and Kilkenny both have injury concerns ahead of next Sunday’s ESB All-Ireland MHC semi-final in Croke Park.

Galway boss Mattie Murphy has worries over defensive pair Darragh Burke and Conor McDonagh who were both forced off during the quarter-final win over Waterford. Full-back Burke was taken off suffering with a groin injury at half-time while left corner-back McDonagh departed with a hand injury in the closing stages.

The pair have struggled to shake off the injuries since then and regain fitness ahead of next Sunday’s repeat of last year’s All-Ireland minor decider. Gerard O’Donoghue and Pádraig Concannon were the players introduced in the semi-final and are in pole position for starting places should Burke and McDonagh fail to make it.

“Darragh and Conor are still worries for us to contend with,” says Murphy. “We’re hopeful that they will still be able to make the game for us. Darragh going off at half-time unsettled us against Waterford as we had to make a number of changes but we still showed that we can cope in getting the win.”

Kilkenny manager Richie Mulrooney has concerns over attacking duo Michael Brennan and Thomas O’Hanrahan. Both players lined out in the corner-forward positions in the Leinster final win over Dublin, with O’Hanrahan grabbing the only goal of the game. However they incurred injuries in that game which forced their substitution with Brennan battling a hand problem and O’Hanrahan suffering from a knock to his foot. Mulrooney is hopeful both players will recover in time for Sunday’s clash and will name his side on Friday night for the game. Paddy Delaney and Peter Vickery will be the likely replacements in the starting 15 should Brennan and O’Hanrahan be sidelined with their injuries, as that duo were introduced during the victory over Dublin.