Austin Gleeson huge worry for Waterford IT ahead of Fitzgibbon Cup final replay

The results of a scan on Austin Gleeson’s hamstring this morning will determine if the Waterford IT full-forward plays any role in this evening’s Fitzgibbon Cup final replay at Páirc Uí Rinn.

Gleeson was substituted 31 minutes into Waterford’s league win over Offaly on Saturday and WIT manager Colm Bonnar yesterday expressed concerns over the fitness of the 2013 All-Ireland minor winner.

“There are still doubts hanging over Austin, he is up to around 80% now. It will be a last minute decision whether he plays,” said Bonnar.

“It will depend on whether he can get up to where we need him to be in the next 24 hours. He is anxious to play, but we have to follow medical advice. We won’t know until the scan results come through.

“We have one or two players who did very well, such as Johnny Hayes, when they came in against UL the last day so it may be a case of seeing how Austin is in Páirc Uí Rinn before the game and then naming the team.”

WIT management are also monitoring the fitness of Joe O’Dwyer. The Tipperary hurler, having lined out in defence in WIT’s three group games last month, missed the finals weekend through a shoulder injury.

“Joe did a little bit of hurling on Monday night. He hasn’t played in the last three or four weeks. We don’t know if his shoulder is right and what would happen if he came into contact.”

Bonnar added: “It was unfortunate Austin picked up an injury and there was always that risk with so many players from both sides lining out for their counties, but I have no doubt had the replay been played last week, we would have lost four or five players through injury. In hindsight, the correct decision was made not to fix this game for last week.”

Waterford IT were operating inside the whitewash for the third time in five days when drawing with UL and the squad have trained only once in the last 11 days.

“For us, it has been all about rest and recuperation. We met last Wednesday to discuss the final and where we could improve. Both sides could view the drawn game as an opportunity lost. At half-time Limerick would have felt they were in the driving seat, ahead by two and playing with a storm in the second-half. You couldn’t but admire the character of our lads, but had we seen it out at the end of normal time it would have been catching them on the hop. UL were favourites coming into this competition and that hasn’t changed. When you can bring in a player of such quality as Stephen Bennett, it says a lot about their strength-in-depth. Jack Browne returns for them and John McGrath is in great form at present.”