Michael Fennelly admits back injury threatening his future

Michael Fennelly’s immediate focus remains proving himself fit for Kilkenny’s meeting with Wexford this Sunday, but ongoing back trouble may force him to re-evaluate his career if the issue continues to compromise his hurling and his life outside it.

The injury, which originally cut deep into his 2014 season and has now flared up again in recent weeks, has still not been diagnosed and it has followed on from two separate ankle injuries which also compromised his campaigns in 2012 and 2013.

Such a run of issues has been “a nightmare”, he said yesterday at the launch of the #ThisIsMajor campaign for the Electric Ireland hurling and football championships, and thoughts of stepping away from the inter-county scene have already crossed his mind.