The miracle of Nowlan Park? Not quite

EIGHT thousand people saw it, so it must have happened. Henry Shefflin, ruled out of the All-Ireland final after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the semi-final win over Cork, took a full part in training with Kilkenny on Wednesday in Nowlan Park and is in line for a sensational appearance on September 5 as the Cats seek a fifth All-Ireland in a row.

However, Shefflin may not need to change his name by deed poll to Lazarus just yet, says Tom McCarthy, orthopaedic surgeon at the Sports Surgery Clinic in Dublin.

“Unusual,” says McCarthy of Shefflin’s return to action, “but not miraculous. I wouldn’t even say ‘rare’, it would probably be more accurate to say ‘uncommon’.”