Sport

Gilroy considers options as he awaits word on Macauley injury

GAA : Dublin’s Leinster semi-final opponents Kildare will have Daryl Flynn available again, as IAN O'RIORDAN reports.

Wed Jun 22 2011 - 01:00

GAA: Dublin's Leinster semi-final opponents Kildare will have Daryl Flynn available again, as IAN O'RIORDANreports.

FRIDAY’S EARLY bird will be the first to catch the Dublin team to play Kildare in Sunday’s Leinster football semi-final double-header at Croke Park, but in the meantime, Dublin manager Pat Gilroy is awaiting a fitness update on midfielder Michael Darragh Macauley, who sat out Dublin’s final practice match last Saturday, as the Ballyboden St Enda’s player is suffering from a foot injury.

It appears to be nothing worse than swelling, although Gilroy is no doubt considering his options.Barry Cahill will take up one midfield position but Denis Bastick, Eamon Fennell and Ross McConnell are all in contention to come in if necessary.

Bastick replaced Cahill in Dublin’s quarter-final win over Laois, and McConnell also appeared late on for a first run since returning from a long-term hip injury.

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Philly McMahon is already ruled out for the next six weeks after sustaining medial ligament damage against Laois, with either Paul Brogan or Paul Conlon likely to take over in the full-back line.

Kildare still have long-term injury absentees in Dermot Earley, Ken Donnelly and Peter Kelly, but midfielder Daryl Flynn has recovered from the ankle injury that forced him to miss the Wicklow and Meath games and is likely to see some action – while John Doyle, who has been nursing a minor hamstring strain, is set to retain one of the midfield roles.

Meath’s karmic-like rematch against Louth on Saturday may be the pick of the All-Ireland football qualifiers first round, but it may come too soon for Graham Geraghty, who has been nursing an Achilles tendon injury since the defeat to Kildare, and unable to partake in full training. Brian Farrell is suspended from the red card shown against Kildare, and forward Stephen Bray is also doubtful with a hamstring pull.

Dublin’s preparation for the Leinster hurling final showdown against Kilkenny has been shaken by the loss of full back Tomás Brady for the rest of the season, with the cruciate injury he sustained in Saturday’s semi-final win over Galway. But Kilkenny have been boosted by the news that defender Tommy Walsh is ready to resume action.

Walsh missed the defeat to Dublin in the league final and also Kilkenny’s semi-final win over Wexford, but is now recovered from the shoulder injury and eyeing a starting place in Croke Park on July 3rd.

“I’m back in training now so it’s all systems go,” says Walsh. “I’ve two weeks now to get the match fitness right, so we’ll see how it goes. I came back from the first shoulder injury and was playing a few weeks. Then I hurt my other shoulder. So I had three weeks in between of match fitness. And these two weeks as well to maybe get a few matches.

“Three or four weeks ago we played O’Loughlin’s in the club championship. I just fell over on the sideline, about 20 minutes to go, and came down on my other shoulder, the left shoulder.

“I’m not really sure of the medical reasons behind it. It didn’t dislocates or pops out. I think I was just unlucky.

“Over the winter I will have to build up the shoulders so I’ll be alright going forward.

“But hopefully I’ll be alright for the Leinster final. I’m back training since last weekend, so it will depend on how this week goes as regards training. But Brian Cody and the management are the only fellas that would be able to answer you that.”