Kerrigan blow gives Counihan headache

PAUL KERRIGAN emerged as the latest injury doubt for Cork ahead of Sunday’s Allianz Football League final against Dublin in Croke Park.

Kerrigan injured his hamstring playing a club league game for Nemo Rangers against Carbery Rangers on Saturday. Manager Conor Counihan already has to plan without defender Eoin Cadogan, who will miss out through suspension, while midfielder Aidan Walsh is ruled out after picking up a hamstring injury in Saturday’s All-Ireland U21FC semi-final against Galway.

There was positive news for the Cork management in that Paudie Kissane, Ray Carey, Paul O’Flynn and Ciarán Sheehan all emerged unscathed from a club tie last night.

Kissane and Carey were both in action for Avondhu against Cork IT, for whom Sheehan featured, in a SFC tie in Fermoy.

Long-serving defensive duo Graham Canty and Anthony Lynch won’t feature in Cork’s match-day squad despite continuing to make good progress in their recovery from injuries.

Selector Ger O’Sullivan said: “Anthony played a half an hour on Saturday in a challenge game against Sligo in Ardrahan in Galway, and came through it fine. Graham is also doing well. They’ve both missed a lot of football this year but at this stage we’d be hoping that they’ve started to turn a corner and are ready for the season ahead.”

Meanwhile, Kerry midfielder Anthony Maher was yesterday given the all-clear in Dublin after undergoing a scan to ascertain the damage he suffered to his knee in a club game at the weekend.

Maher was forced off while lining out with his club Duagh on Saturday night but the injury is not as serious as originally feared.

Attacker Darran O’Sullivan did not feature for his club Glenbeigh-Glencar in league action on Sunday after suffering a groin strain in training on Friday night but that is not expected to rule him out of this weekend’s trip to Portugal for warm-weather training.

Paul Galvin and Tommy Griffin have not travelled with the squad this week due to injuries while Micheal Quirke is ruled out with family commitments. It is also understood that two of the county’s brightest young talents, Johnny Buckley and Paul Geaney, are not part of the 30-man panel heading to Portugal.

Meanwhile, Kilkenny’s injury crisis worsened ahead of Sunday week’s Allianz Hurling League decider against Dublin in Croke Park, with Aidan Fogarty, Michael Fennelly and John Dalton additions to the Cats list of concerns after their victory over Offaly in Nowlan Park on Sunday.

Fogarty is the biggest casualty after it was confirmed he broke his leg in two places towards the end of the tie against the Faithful county. The injury is also likely to mean the Emeralds attacker will miss the entire Leinster championship campaign.

All Star midfielder Michael Fennelly fractured a bone in his hand and was withdrawn at half time of Sunday’s game. Defender John Dalton suffered ligament damage to his ankle in the second half and his participation in the showdown with Anthony Daly’s side is now in serious doubt.

In a piece of positive news for Kilkenny, forward Richie Hogan should be available having only picked up a slight knock to his ankle in the second half of the tie with Joe Dooley’s team.

But manager Brian Cody still faces a selection headache as only seven of the team that started last September’s All-Ireland final are fit. Key players Tommy Walsh (shoulder), Richie Power (hip) and JJ Delaney (hamstring) are all sidelined with injuries along with long-term cruciate injury victims Henry Shefflin and John Tennyson.

Kilkenny’s options in the half-back line are particularly stretched with Walsh, Tennyson and Delaney, the trio who started in that defensive area against Tipperary last September, all out while Dalton, who filled the number six jersey against Offaly, now an injury worry as well.

Derry forward Paddy Bradley will have to wait until later this week to assess the extent of the knee injury he suffered in a club game at the weekend. Bradley picked up the injury in a game for his club Glenullin against Bellaghy and there are fears he has become the latest high-profile inter-county player to tear his cruciate ligament.

The attacker is set to undergo a scan to properly gauge the nature of his injury and determine whether his availability for this summer’s championship is in doubt. Derry open their Ulster championship campaign on May 22 with a quarter-final tie against Fermanagh in Celtic Park.