GAA:There was positive news on the injury front today for Mayo manager James Horan as he prepares for Sunday's All-Ireland football semi-final with Kerry. Trevor Mortimer, Peadar Gardiner and Aidan Campbell have all been passed fit allowing the coach to name an unchanged side.
Mortimer, who had been nursing a quad muscle he injured in training, takes up his position on the half back line while Gardiner and Campbell are again named among the substitutes.
Mortimer received daily treatment for the last week, with Lee Keegan waiting in the wings should he fail to recover in time. Moran had been due to name his side on Wednesday but delayed doing so in order to give the converted forward every chance to prove his fitness.
Gardiner, a second half substitute in the quarter-final win over Cork, was rated doubtful during the week and it remains to be seen what part he may play at Croke Park.
Kerry named their starting line-up during the week and not for the first time a tight hamstring has cost Paul Galvin his place in the team. Having suffered a recurrence of the injury during a training game last weekend, Galvin has only been listed among the substitutes.
It means there is one change from the team that beat Limerick in the quarter-final last month: Kieran O’Leary from Dr Crokes is called into the forward line, although named at number 15 in an apparent swap with Darran O’Sullivan, who is now listed to start in Galvin’s right wing forward position, alongside Declan O’Sullivan and Donnchadh Walsh.
O’Leary in fact replaced Darran O’Sullivan the last day, after he was forced to retire early with a hamstring scare – having just scored arguably the goal of the championship.
As expected defender Tomás Ó Sé has recovered from the minor hamstring injury he also sustained over the weekend, during the final closed-door squad training session at Fota Island Resort, in Cork, and thus retains his place at right wing back – with Eoin Brosnan also retaining his place at centre back, despite earlier speculation to the contrary.
Kerry:B Kealy; K Young, M O Se, T O'Sullivan; T O Se, E Brosnan, A O'Mahony; A Maher, B Sheehan; Darran O'Sullivan, Declan O'Sullivan, D Walsh; C Cooper, K Donaghy, K O'Leary.
Mayo:R Hennelly; T Cunniffe, G Cafferkey, K Higgins; R Feeney, D Vaughan, T Mortimer; A O'Shea, S O'Shea; K McLoughlin, A Dillon, A Moran; E Varley, A Freeman, C O'Connor.