Kerry must face into league without Gooch

Eamonn Fitzmaurice has admitted Kerry are likely to be without captain Colm Cooper for the entire National League — but says the way the attacker is minding himself nowadays, he could play inter-county football for another five years.

Kerry will be minus a number of established players for their glamour League opener at Croke Park against Dublin, including the Dr Crokes contingent preparing for their February 15th All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final against Castlebar.

But Fitzmaurice has more or less written 30-year-old Cooper out of his League plans anyway to ensure he gets the best from his talisman come the summer.