O’Gara wrist injury a worry for Dublin

EOGHAN O’GARA’S season hangs in the balance after he sustained a suspected fractured wrist in Sunday’s Leinster SFC defeat of Wexford.

The big attacker suffered the injury in the opening half of the Croke Park victory and the joint was heavily strapped during the post-match celebrations and again yesterday at a photo launch for the annual Tomás Mulligan Memorial Cycle in aid of Pieta House, the suicide crisis centre. The Templeogue/Synge Street man could be facing up to eight weeks out of football, which would leave him battling to be fit for an All-Ireland semi-final, should Pat Gilroy’s side progress to that stage.

Tomás Quinn and Kevin McManamon are the players who could benefit from the absence of O’Gara.

Meanwhile Limerick football boss Maurice Horan is sweating on the fitness of his goalkeeper Brian Scanlon for Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier against Waterford. Scanlon suffered a knee injury in the 3-13 to 0-15 qualifier win over Offaly and is battling to be fit for Saturday evening’s game in the Gaelic Grounds.

“He’s bothered by it. He picked it up during the game and we are just hoping it clears up,” said Horan.

Corner-forward Mike Sheehan is also a doubtful starter with an ankle injury.

Horan’s hurling counterpart Donal O’Grady is sweating on the fitness of four players for their All-Ireland SHC quarter-final against Dublin in Thurles on Sunday week.

Midfielders Donal O’Grady and Paul Browne, along with attackers Graeme Mulcahy and Kevin Downes, are battling to be fit for the Semple Stadium clash. Browne and Mulcahy were unable to line out in last Saturday’s All-Ireland Qualifier win over Antrim due to respective foot and ankle injuries which caused them to retire during the previous round qualifier win over Wexford.

And O’Grady and Downes had to be substituted at half-time in the showdown against the Saffrons after sustaining respective shoulder and calf injuries.

Horan revealed: “The situation regarding Paul Browne and Donal O’Grady is particularly worrying as if they’re ruled out, we’ll be without our two first-choice midfielders. Graeme Mulcahy twisted his ankle badly. There’s damage to ligaments, and that kind of an injury can be slow to heal. Paul Browne cracked a bone in his foot during the Wexford game. And in the Antrim game Donal O’Grady injured his A/C joint, and Kevin Downes had to come off with a calf injury which is a bit of an ongoing problem for him. I’d say it will be well into next week before we’re in a position to decide if any of the four lads has a chance of playing against Dublin.”