Ruairi Keating takes next step on road to Cork City return ahead of FAI Cup final

City striker Keating ruptured his Achilles earlier this year but could feature at the Aviva Stadium on November 9.

Thu, 23 Oct, 2025 - 14:58

Shane Donovan

Cork City striker Ruairi Keating will step up his recovery from an Achilles tendon rupture this weekend as he closes in on a potential comeback in the FAI Cup final meeting with Shamrock Rovers next month.

With City's relegation to the First Division already confirmed, first-team boss Ger Nash, speaking ahead of the Premier Division clash with Sligo Rovers on Saturday, said he will be managing players' minutes accordingly ahead of the trip to the Aviva Stadium.

For Keating, a 45-minute run-out with City's underage side awaits as he looks to get minutes under his belt ahead of the November 9 cup decider, having been sidelined since the early April clash with Derry City.

"If you look at some players who have had a lot of football, like we managed Seani (Maguire), obviously, the last game, we gave him a little breather," City boss Nash said.

"He's played pretty much every minute for the last few months. We've got a couple of boys who have been in a similar situation and we might give them a rest.

"I think you also look at some other players like Ruairi Keating. He's obviously coming back into the group. He'll be playing with the under-20s on Saturday for 45 minutes, so he's in a different process."

Nash also noted that young duo Harry Nevin and Matt Murray may be available for next week's fixture against Derry.

"We've got people like Harry Nevin and Matt Murray who are in the group, who we are potentially hoping we might get back on the grass on Monday, which would allow them to potentially be involved against Derry.

"Ultimately, we want to get as many of our players as we can in peak condition to feature in the Aviva. But alongside that, I reiterate, we want to go and perform and win in Sligo."