KILKENNY MANAGER Brian Cody last night said he knows for a fact Joe Canning doesn’t believe Henry Shefflin to be an unsporting player – whatever he might have said to a group of journalists 10 days ago.

“I haven’t been reading the papers . . . but I’d be very stupid to pretend I didn’t hear what was reported as said by Joe. It makes no difference in the slightest to me and has never been mentioned in our dressingroom.

“It’s not as if we all don’t know each other. I know Joe Canning and have met him many times. I would be absolutely certain that he has huge respect for Henry Shefflin, and I know for a fact Henry has huge respect for Joe.

“The words may have been said but there’s a context to the whole thing as well. I don’t know the context. I know there is huge respect between all the players and I don’t know of any player who believes Henry Shefflin is unsporting. I know for a fact – I don’t need to check it out – that Joe doesn’t think that.”

Meanwhile, Kilkenny midfielder Michael Rice has spoken for the first time about the incident in the All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary which left him needing seven screws and a plate inserted in his right hand. Rice has not yet returned to work and is unsure as to whether the injury will be career-threatening.

“I didn’t ask that question and I was afraid to ask that question, to be honest with you. I was upset I ended up with a season-ending injury. The way it happened, there was a ball up the line, I was going for it and I ended up with a slap on the finger that put me out for the rest of the year. Look, I can’t second guess what the opposition player was trying to do.”

Rice confirmed the player in question, Tipp wing-back Pádraic Maher, has not been in touch since the incident occurred. “It’s up to every lad what he wants to do,” he said.