O’Mahony and Young expected to return next week

KERRY defender Killian Young could be back in the frame for their NFL Division 1 opener against Cork on Sunday week as he continues his recovery from keyhole surgery on his hip and groin.

The Renard defender was forced off during South Kerry’s Kerry SFC quarter-final victory over Kilcummin last September and has been sidelined with the problem since.

Kerry boss Jack O’Connor is hopeful Young and fellow defender Aidan O’Mahony will be back in training next week but has admitted that he will have to plan without Tommy Griffin and Paul Galvin for the early stages of the league.

“We have a couple of long term injuries and some of them are getting close (to returning). More of them are a bit away yet. Paul Galvin and Killian Young both had similar operations but Killian should be back playing football within a week or 10 days. Aidan O’Mahony should be playing football next week. Paul Galvin is maybe two to three weeks away and Tommy Griffin is still nursing his ankle and doing his own bit of work.”

There is still uncertainty surrounding the future of defender Tom O’Sullivan but O’Connor is confident the Rathmore man will link up with the squad as the season progresses.

“I didn’t see him lately but I’d expect him back. It’s a bit cold for him yet!”

Marc Ó Sé was forced to cry off from his full-back berth before the start of Sunday’s McGrath Cup semi-final win over Cork as he was suffering from flu but should be available for Saturday’s McGrath Cup decider against Clare. Kieran Donaghy will again be absent for that clash as the Austin Stacks player is on holidays, attacker Declan O’Sullivan is away on his honeymoon while midfielder Micheal Quirke is also unavailable at present.

Club commitments have also restricted O’Connor’s access to players with the Dr Crokes contingent gearing up for Sunday’s Munster final date with Nemo Rangers while last year’s captain Bryan Sheehan is involved with St Mary’s (Caherciveen) as they face Manchester side St Peter’s in an All-Ireland Club JFC semi-final in Kilmallock. O’Connor’s options will be boosted by the return of their college players for the National League with the likes of Barry John Walsh (CIT) and Barry John Keane (IT Tralee) having lined out for third-level sides in the McGrath Cup.