Mulholland to meet Joyce to discuss intercounty future

The future of Pádraic Joyce's involvement in the Galway senior football squad will be discussed this week when the three-time All-Star meets with manager Alan Mulholland.

The 34-year-old was absent for the opening five games in the Tribemen's Allianz Football League campaign last year, but featured in the Championship where Galway suffered defeats to Mayo and Meath.

Joyce has been plagued by injury in recent seasons, and the Killererin clubman has yet to indicate his availability for 2012. However, the new Galway boss is keen to have him on board.

"I'm not putting any severe pressure on Pádraic," Mulholland said at the launch of the Allianz Football League today.

"I realise that when you are in your mid-30s it takes a bigger effort than ever to get into the shape that you need to be in in the modern game. I’m going to talk to him this week and see where he is on that.

"There’s no rush to get him in. We'd love to have him available for Championship and we will take the league for him to see whether he has the desire and pyhiscal ability to (play).

"Pádraic, again no more than Michael (Meehan), has had a few injuries over the last while and has been carrying a bit of that.

"Obviously you want your best players available to you and Pádraic is one of the best if not the best that Galway have had for the last number of years."

Another player who has been troubled by injury in the Galway camp in recent seasons is Michael Meehan.

The Caltra clubman's inter-county career has been blighted by a string of serious injuries over the past three years, with an ankle injury sustained during a league game against Kerry in 2010 continuing to haunt him.

Mulholland concedes that it is very much a bonus for his side if Meehan is involved. "It’s a management issue for Michael now, he will never be cured," he admitted.

"Whether he can play inter-county football carrying this injury is the big issue. But Michael has been an example to the whole panel.

"Michael has been training infrequently (with the squad) over the last two to three years yet he is probably training harder than anybody else. He’s working on his own extremely hard.

"We have got to treat it as a bonus if Michael togs out for us in the Championship this year."