Boland back for Dublin, Rushe a doubt

GAELIC GAMES:DUBLIN MANAGER Anthony Daly's injury woes have eased in the lead-up to next Sunday's league final against Kilkenny with the news that Joey Boland is fit for selection.

Boland, who has enjoyed a good campaign at centre back, missed the divisional matches against Kilkenny and Cork after sustaining a metatarsal injury in the team’s only defeat to date, against Galway in Parnell Park at the end of March.

“Liam Rushe is the only doubt ahead of Sunday,” according to Daly. “Joey Boland is good to go.”

Rushe, the talented young St Patrick’s Palmerstown player, who has adapted to a switching between the forwards and centrefield during the league, injured his shoulder during a warm-weather training trip to Portugal this month, and missed the win in Cork that took the county to a first league final in 65 years.

Daly is also coping with long-term injuries to Stephen Hiney, David Tracey and Rushe’s St Pat’s clubmate Shane Stapleton, all of whom are in recovery from cruciate injuries.

The latter two are expected to return shortly but captain Hiney is out for the year.

Former All Star Alan McCrabbe and Maurice O’Brien took tentative steps back into action after long-term injuries when being introduced as replacements against Cork.

Opponents Kilkenny have their own problems with question marks over three of last year’s All Stars Tommy Walsh, JJ Delaney and Michael Fennelly. All are injury doubts, and twice hurler-of-the-year Henry Shefflin is still rehabilitating after last year’s cruciate injury.

Whereas Dublin haven’t reached this stage since the 1940s, Sunday will be Kilkenny’s seventh final in the past 10 years during which time they won the title on five occasions, losing just once – in the 2007 decider against Waterford.