Kerry's Gavin White ruled out of league following ankle surgery

Gavin White of Kerry in action against Andrew Murnin of Armagh. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Last season’s All-Ireland winning Kerry captain Gavin White is likely miss the entire league campaign having undergone surgery on an injured ankle. 

White will require a minimum of three months of rehab and since the Kingdom’s final league game is away to Armagh on March 22, Jack O’Connor will have to wait until the championship to have White fully fit and available again.

The 2025 All-Star had an outstanding season for Kerry once he returned to action following Dr Crokes' All-Ireland club run that saw the Killarney club just miss out in the semi-final to Errigal Ciarán. 

White picked up the ankle injury playing with Dr Crokes in the East Kerry SFC (O’Donoghue Cup) semi-final against Spa in mid-November.

While O’Connor will be more concerned about having White available for the start of the Munster Championship, the Kerry boss' preference would to have his star half-back available for the second half of the league.

Meanwhile Diarmuid O’Connor is rehabbing after a procedure on his shoulder while panelist Darragh Lyne of Killarney Legion has also had surgery. He is expected to be available for some league action.

On the managerial front, former Kerry minor, under-21 and senior player Paul O’Connor will taking charge of Sneem/Derrynane in 2026 and he will be assisted on championship match days by Paudie Clifford. The Clifford’s father Dermot is a Derrynane native.

The Clifford brothers will not be focusing on football this weekend as both Paudie and David, along 2014 All-Star Shane Enright, are part of the Kingdom Place syndicate whose greyhound Solo And Go is the favourite to win the Kingdom Derby Final at Tralee on Friday, having being denied Irish Laurels glory at Curraheen Park by a short head in October.