Cats rocked as Fogarty suffers leg fracture

Kilkenny’s injury crisis has worsened ahead of Sunday week’s Allianz Hurling League decider against Dublin with Aidan Fogarty, Michael Fennelly and John Dalton all the latest additions to the treatment room after their victory over Offaly in Nowlan Park last weekend, the Irish Examiner has reported.

Fogarty is the biggest casualty with confirmation yesterday that he broke his leg in two places in a clash towards the end of the tie.

The Emeralds attacker looks set to miss the entire Leinster championship campaign.

All Star midfielder Fennelly fractured a bone in his hand and was withdrawn at half-time while defender John Dalton suffered ligament damage to his ankle in the second-half of the 1-27 to 1-19 win and his participation in the showdown with Anthony Daly’s side is in doubt.

In the one piece of positive news for Kilkenny, forward Richie Hogan should be available despite having picked up a slight knock to his ankle in the second-half of the tie with Joe Dooley’s team.

But manager Brian Cody still faces a selection headache as only seven of his team that started last September’s All-Ireland final look set to be fit as Kilkenny bid to claim silverware in a competition they last won in 2009.

Key players like Tommy Walsh (shoulder), Richie Power (hip), JJ Delaney (hamstring) are all currently sidelined with injuries along with long-term cruciate injury victims Henry Shefflin and John Tennyson.

Kilkenny’s options in the half-back line are particularly stretched with Walsh, Tennyson and Delaney the trio who started in that defensive area against Tipperary last September while Dalton, who filled the number 6 jersey against Offaly, all receiving treatment.

Meanwhile Paul Kerrigan has emerged as the latest injury doubt for Cork ahead of Sunday’s Allianz Football League final against Dublin in Croke Park.

Kerrigan injured his hamstring while playing a club league game for Nemo Rangers against Carbery Rangers on Saturday.

Manager Conor Counihan already has to plan without defender Eoin Cadogan who is set to miss out through suspension after being sent-off in last Sunday’s week clash against Armagh while midfielder Aidan Walsh is ruled out after injuring his hamstring in Saturday’s All-Ireland U21FC semi-final defeat to Galway.

There was positive news for the Cork management, however, in that Paudie Kissane, Ray Carey, Paul O’ Flynn and Ciarán Sheehan all emerged unscathed from a club tie last night.

Kissane and Carey were both in action for Avondhu against Cork IT for whom Sheehan featured in a senior football championship tie in Fermoy.

Long-serving defensive duo Graham Canty and Anthony Lynch are both not set to feature in Cork’s matchday squad on Sunday despite continuing to make good progress in their recovery from injuries.

"They won’t be involved on Sunday but they are making very good progress", says selector Ger O’Sullivan. "Anthony played a half an hour on Saturday in a challenge game against Sligo in Ardrahan in Galway, and came through it fine. "Graham is also doing well. They’ve both missed a lot of football this year but at this stage we’d be hoping that they’ve started to turn a corner and are ready for the season ahead."