Kerry's Diarmuid O'Connor and Tom O'Sullivan to miss Tyrone semi-final

Kingdom boss Jack O'Connor says that the Munster champions were down up to seven starters against Armagh and they are struggling with lads being undercooked for the semi-final

PROWLING: Kerry manager Jack O'Connor 

MIDFIELDER Diarmuid O’Connor and defender Tom O’Sullivan will miss Kerry’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final on Saturday against Tyrone.

Manager Jack O’Connor has confirmed that the shoulder problem that has plagued midfielder O’Connor’s season has ruled him out of the semi-final. Though O'Connor didn't say it, the fear is that the Na Gaeil man could also miss the July 27th final, were Kerry to make it.

Dingle’s O’Sullivan misses out with a calf problem sustained in the quarter final win over reigning champions Armagh, joining his club mate Barry Dan O’Sullivan on the sideline.

“All the rest are on the way back in some shape or form. Their level of readiness I am not too sure, we have two sessions Monday and Wednesday," Jack O'Connor said in Tralee Monday.

“I don’t want to be going into a lad’s details, but obviously Diarmuid’s shoulder is a problem since the Armagh (League) game in the spring and he damaged it again against Cavan.

“Tony Brosnan is back training, any fella that is training has a chance. Tadhg Morley and Mike Breen are also training. Paul Geaney is training away but again, has he gone at it 100%? Probably not yet, but he is close.”

The Kerry manager added: “”We’ve had a bad run of injuries. It was only after the Armagh game I was thinking we were down anything up to seven starters, I’m not sure any team in the country could ship that level of attrition and survive. We’d be in a stronger position if we had a clean bill of health.” 

What has helped is the number of ‘fringe’ players who have stepped up since the championships kicked in. “We have used around 35 players, Mark O’Shea got his first action for ten minutes in Castlebar and all those minutes matter. It has been a very tricky season. We’ve had to deal with trying to get players back from their clubs and incorporate them back into the system. You have to give them time off, like the Crokes lads needed five or six weeks.

“We’ve managed to blend them in, but just as well we have had as many players as we had, because we’ve needed that panel of players. Lads who thought they were on the periphery are now pushed into action. And we are delighted the way they have done for us.”