Tipperary must do without Patrick Maher for Clare clash

Tipperary will be without influential forward Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher for next Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League quarter-final clash with Clare in Ennis.

The Lorrha-Dorrha player has been ruled out of the trip to Ennis with a knee injury but could return for his club when they tackle Portroe in the first round of the county senior hurling championship on Sunday week.

Corner-back Michael Cahill is also out with a hamstring injury but forward Jason Forde could feature for the Premier County for the first time since the opening day victory over Dublin.

Forde was a key figure for University of Limerick in their Fitzgibbon Cup campaign but he sustained a hamstring injury in the final defeat to Mary Immaculate College, and has been ruled out since then.

But the Silvermines attacker played against Moycarkey-Borris in a county senior hurling challenge cup fixture last Friday night and despite his club’s defeat, Forde did well around the middle of the field.

Forde hit 1-5 from play against Dublin in February and his return will provide Tipperary manager Michael Ryan with another attacking option, following Seamus Callanan’s successful return from injury against Cork.

Ryan will also have wing-backs Barry Heffernan and Pádraic Maher available after both shipped heavy knocks against the Rebels.

Elsewhere, Mayo football manager Stephen Rochford doesn’t expect to have triple All Star Keith Higgins available for Sunday’s crucial relegation clash with Down in Castlebar.

Rochford is going to be without full-back Ger Cafferkey, who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, but hopes of having the versatile Higgins back for Sunday are fading.

“Keith has been making a good recovery from his hamstring injury, but Sunday might just be a week too early for him.

“We will monitor it very closely throughout the week but, at this stage, it looks like he will need more time,” said Rochford.

Kevin Keane could return.

Meanwhile, Clare manager Colm Collins is “hopeful” his son Podge will be available for Sunday’s decisive Division 3 clash with Kildare.

Davy Fitzgerald’s hurlers are in action on the same day against Tipperary but Colm hopes dual star Podge will be with the footballers.

“Hopefully we’ll have him, that will be finalised later in the week. “I’m optimistic that we’ll have him.

“I’m very lucky that the two Davids are great buddies — Davy Fitz and (Clare football selector) David O’Brien.

“David worked with Davy down in Waterford and the two of them will sort everything.”