Murphy in fitness battle to line out against Lilywhites

MICHAEL MURPHY’S absence from training this week means the Donegal skipper is the prime concern ahead of tomorrow’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Kildare at Croke Park.

However, the full-forward is expected to shrug off the minor hamstring complaint that saw him miss training on Tuesday. Manager Jim McGuinness also has regular midfield duo Rory Kavanagh and Kevin Rafferty nearing fitness, while Leo McLoone and Dermot Molloy returned to training this week.

Kavanagh took a painkilling injection before the Ulster final win over Derry but was forced off before half-time with a recurrence of his ankle knock, while his while St Eunan’s of Letterkenny clubmate Rafferty missed the game altogether with a groin problem. Neil Gallagher, who made his first start of the season at Clones in Rafferty’s absence, and Martin McElhinney, who came in for Kavanagh, are on standby.

McLoone was infamously sidelined last month after breaking facial bones and requiring surgery following a post-match altercation when his Naomh Conaill of Glenties side exited the club championship against Glenswilly. Molloy sustained a dead leg in a club U21 championship match, also for Naomh Conaill, 10 days ago but it’s anticipated he will take his place on the bench and continue playing the role of impact sub.

All in all, McGuinness is most likely to name the side that started in the 1-11 to 0-8 win over Derry, which would suggest Kavanagh and Gallagher will start in the middle against a Kildare team playing in their fourth consecutive All-Ireland quarter-final.

“Rory and Kevin received specialist treatment in Dublin last week and did some light work on Sunday and did a little more on Tuesday night so we are going to wait and see before we decide on the team,” McGuinness said.

“But the boys that played the last day played well and while there are a number of fellas going well and pushing hard in training I don’t expect to make many changes from the last day.

“We will be taking it like any other game we played all year and where it is played and we were not going around talking about 19 years and bridging a gap before the Ulster final. We were talking about a game of football that had to be won and this Saturday’s game is no different and we will not be approaching it any differently.”