Hurling 2008/ WEXFORD: Goalkeeper Damien Fitzhenry is a doubtful starter for the Leinster senior hurling final clash with Kilkenny next Sunday.
Fitzhenry received a blow to the foot playing for his club, Duffry Rovers, against Marshalstown in the county senior hurling championship last Friday.
The last remaining link with Wexford's 1996 winning All-Ireland side, Fitzhenry was forced to retire early in the game. The former All Star also sat out training yesterday.
Wexford manager John Meyler said: "We will not know really until Tuesday night. It's quite tender and sore. While he looks okay to walk, it's when he puts pressure on the foot or come into contact that it could cause problems. We just have to wait and see."
Meanwhile, Fitzhenry's nephew Niall Maher, minor goalkeeper three years ago, was drafted into training yesterday as a back-up to Diarmuid Flynn.
Already out of the final showdown for Wexford are Ciarán Kenny (broken thumb); Stephen Nolan (thumb ligaments) and MJ Furlong (broken fibia).
KILKENNY: Centre fielder Michael Fennelly's availability for Sunday's Leinster hurling final is in serious doubt after he broke his wrist while playing a club championship game for Ballyhale Shamrocks last week.
It is uncertain whether Fennelly will be fit to play in this year's All-Ireland championship as such an injury can take up to eight weeks to heal.
The obvious option for Kilkenny manager Brian Cody would be to reinstate Derek Lyng to midfield. The two-time All-Ireland winner is, however, recovering match fitness himself after a long injury lay-off.
TIPPERARY: Centre half back Conor O'Mahony has emerged as a major injury concern ahead of the Munster hurling final against Clare on July 13th.
O'Mahony's chances of starting the Gaelic Grounds decider are rated at 50-50 after he damaged his left shoulder while on club duty with Newport on Saturday.
O'Mahony was forced out of the clash with Ballina in Nenagh and taken to the local hospital, where X-rays revealed no break.
The man-of-the-match from the Munster semi-final victory over Cork has, however, sustained soft tissue damage to the a/c joint and now faces a race against time to be fit for the clash at Gaelic Grounds.
If O'Mahony fails to recover, current All Star Declan Fanning could slot into centre half back.
Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy has received good news, however, with the return of forward Hugh Maloney to training.
Maloney has suffered three serious injury setbacks already this year, with both shoulders affected, but he now hopes his injury problems are firmly behind him.
