Kerry wait on confirmation of Cooper availability

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor is still a number of days away from knowing if Colm 'Gooch' Cooper will be part of his plans for the Munster SFC opener against Tipperary on May 16.

Cooper was left with a torn tear duct in his left eye following a collision with Monaghan's Darren Hughes during the early stages of Kerry's recent NFL win over the Ulster side.

The injury left the Dr. Crokes clubman will impaired vision, however he received positive feedback when undergoing an operation in Dublin last week.

Although It was felt initially that the star forward would be sidelined for just a couple of weeks, his participation in the Tipp game will now depend on whether he gets the go-ahead from his eye specialist.

Kerry selector Ger O'Keeffe said: "Colm is due to return to see his specialist in Dublin next week for a review on the condition of his eye.

"He will then be told when it will be safe for him to make a return to playing football. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed that Colm will be able to play against Tipp."

If Cooper misses the Tipperary encounter and the Kingdom advance to the Munster semi-finals as expected, he is almost certain to be available for the defending All-Ireland champions' clash with Cork on June 6.