GAELIC GAMES:Tyrone received some good injury news for a change yesterday when it emerged that Brian McGuigan, who had been feared likely to miss the entire season for a second successive year, could be back in the team for the Ulster football final, should his team progress that far.
The team's influential centre forward was absent for Sunday's defeat of Fermanagh and in his absence brother Tommy gave a very assured display on his championship debut.
McGuigan underwent eye surgery in Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital last Friday and has been given a positive prognosis, suggesting that he could return in time for the provincial decider on July 15th.
McGuigan has not played for Tyrone since the 2005 All-Ireland final, in which he played a starring role in the victory over Kerry.
Meanwhile Colm Cavanagh - a brother of centrefielder Seán - who was stretchered off during the Fermanagh match, has also made a quick recovery from a neck injury and left hospital on Sunday night and was able to sit examinations yesterday.
As soon as his academic commitments have concluded his injury will be further investigated as a precaution, but the belief at present is that the injury was not as serious as feared.
Otherwise Tyrone's injury crisis is showing further signs of easing. Stephen O'Neill expects to be fit for the semi-final after missing last weekend's win due to a hamstring injury. And Gerard Cavlan, Owen Mulligan and Enda McGinley - all unable to start due to injury - were introduced as subs and came through without any problems.
Ahead of next weekend's Munster hurling tie with Cork, Clare's main injury concern is Bernard Gaffney, who hasn't been able to train since picking up an ankle injury and is rated only 50-50 ahead of the Thurles match.
Louth will be missing their wing forward John O'Brien, who had to leave the drawn encounter with Wicklow after only two minutes, having damaged ankle ligaments, for Sunday's replay in Parnell Park.
Elsewhere, Croke Park is preparing for its first full house of the season with the scheduled meeting of Dublin and Meath in the Leinster quarter-final on a double bill with the match between Wexford and the winners of Louth v Wicklow.
Tickets will go on sale about 10 days before the day, June 3rd, on the Bank Holiday weekend. Two years ago the teams attracted around 65,000 to Croke Park for a Leinster quarter-final that went to the wire with Mark Vaughan's two late frees settling the matter for Dublin.
The teams are seen as more evenly matched this year after a league campaign that saw Meath, under new manager and former player Colm Coyle, promoted to Division One as well as winning the Division Two title.
Both teams will be under-strength with forwards Jason Sherlock (Dublin) and Brian Farrell (Meath) set to miss the match. Sherlock has a hand injury according to selector David Billings.
"He injured his thumb four or five weeks ago and it can be a delicate enough place to get an injury. It needs to be assessed and probably operated on. My view is he'll miss the match."
Farrell was the recipient of a straight red card in the 57th minute of Sunday's defeat of Kildare and the automatic suspension won't be appealed.
The news on Ciarán Whelan's knock sustained in a weekend challenge against Derry is better for Dublin. The centerfielder will be fit to play and was only replaced on Saturday as a precaution.
"He got a knock on his calf," said Billings, "and we only took him off because it was a challenge. That wouldn't have happened in a championship match. Kevin Bonner is also recuperating from a similar injury and should be back in training by the end of the week."
Paul Kelly has emerged as a serious injury concern ahead of Tipperary's Munster hurling match with Limerick on June 10th. He limped out of last week's challenge against Offaly, played behind closed doors in Thurles and it has been confirmed that Kelly has suffered a recurrence of the quad muscle injury that he first sustained in the NHL quarter final defeat to Waterford.
Kelly played no part for his club last Sunday as they relinquished their South SHC title against Killenaule and now faces a race against time to be fit for Limerick.
