Shefflin clinging to slim hope of making Offaly encounter

Henry Shefflin has refused to rule himself out for Kilkenny’s Leinster championship quarter-final against Offaly on June 7, although he admits he is racing against time to recover from a foot injury.

The Ballyhale man suffered a similar stress fracture around the metatarsal on his left foot to the one which forced him out of the 2013 league and recurred to cause him to miss his first championship outing in 15 years.

“It felt fine, there was not a bother in the league final,” the nine-time All-Ireland winner explained.

“After the match I felt a bit of ache in my foot. That was the first time I would have said that since last year. But I didn’t think much more of it. It was a bit sore after the match on the Monday but that is part and parcel of things. I went training with the club on Tuesday night, I felt fine at training, not a bother with it. Then on Wednesday morning, I went to bring my daughter to the bus and to walk with her on the road and I felt that aching pain.

“Obviously I had the experience of last year so I knew straight away there was something going on.” A phone call to his surgeon and subsequent scan revealed the stress fracture and Shefflin’s left foot will be encased in the now-familiar protective boot until his next check-up on May 23.

A green light to return to training then might give him a chance to force himself back into Brian Cody’s thoughts to make a 66th championship appearance in the black and amber jersey. Shefflin is clinging to that hope.

“I am back to (the surgeon) on Friday week so I’m not saying I am definitely gone. But it’s going to be very hard to see me back for the first round to be truthful about it. But I’m not ruling myself out.

“Of course it’s very disappointing. The buzz of the championship… the talk at home, it’s all about the start of the championship. But now thoughts have turned to the injury again, which is frustrating. But I’m in a lot better position this year than I was this time last year, I would feel. (I have) a lot more training done. And I’ve all those matches under my belt.”

The 35-year-old was persuaded he still had something to offer Kilkenny by his improved form when returning to the club after his truncated inter-county season and was “thrilled” returning to county training in November.

Cody appears to have kick-started a new revolution, with the likes of Brian Hogan and Tommy Walsh in particular, having to make do with places on the bench for much of the spring. Shefflin believes that greater competition benefits the overall cause but warns that the experienced men will fight hard for starting berths. “I suppose for players, when you’re involved in it, you focus on yourself. We are a bit selfish about our own performance but it definitely looks like (a big change). There are newer players coming through and (Hogan and Walsh) are still there. They haven’t retired or anything so it will be interesting to see how it pans out.”