Kerry experiencing an injury crisis not seen since 2009

The importance of sealing an automatic All-Ireland quarter-final and giving recovering players double the opportunity to get back to championship football won’t be lost on Jack O’Connor.

Just as he appeared to have nailed down a Kerry  midfield spot, Barry Dan O'Sullivan's season is unfortunately over. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Gavin White no doubt wanted to be proven wrong but his remarks at the Munster SFC launch in Killarney in March were prophetic.

“I think there will be an awful lot more injuries,” the Kerry captain warned. “That’s my own opinion, you’d probably have to go ask the sports scientists. Just from looking at it from the sidelines, you can see visibly there’s more running in it. It’s up and down an awful lot more, obviously the pitch and all that is the same size.