WATERFORD:John Mullane is in serious danger of missing Waterford's Munster senior hurling championship semi-final against Limerick next Sunday because of injury.
Mullane hasn’t trained for almost a fortnight since picking up a hamstring problem and is facing a race against time to be fit for the Thurles showdown.
Waterford are expected to release their starting line-up after training on Thursday evening and manager Davy Fitzgerald is waiting to see whether Mullane can take a full part in the preceding squad session.
Fitzgerald also has other injury problems. Richie Foley was in line for a championship debut but his participation is also in doubt because of hamstring trouble. Like Mullane, Foley has missed the last week and a half of training with Waterford.
Foley’s chances are rated as slim while it has also emerged that dual stars Shane Walsh and Gary Hurney are doubtful starters.
Walsh damaged his shoulder during a training match on Sunday and while the injury is not a long-term problem, he may not feature at the weekend. Hurney was forced off during the training match with a damaged knee and the injury was being assessed by specialists yesterday.
DERRY:Derry forward James Kielt is set to miss the Ulster football semi-final against Tyrone on Sunday week after suffering a suspected broken jaw in a club game at the weekend.
He sustained the injury while playing for Kilrea against Ballinderry. Derry will also be without centre back Niall McCusker through injury.
Captain Fergal Doherty and attacker Brian Mullan will also miss the Casement Park clash with the All-Ireland champions after receiving suspensions as a result of incidents during their quarter-final win over Monaghan.
DUBLIN:Dublin senior hurling manager Anthony Daly will be sweating on the fitness of nine of his senior panellists in tomorrow evening's Leinster under-21 semi-final against Wexford.
Both counties collide ahead of the senior clash on June 20th and Daly will be anxious to see some of his top names come through unscathed, as he is already resigned to being without Liam Ryan and Ross O’Carroll for the forthcoming Nowlan Park encounter.
Ryan was forced off at half-time against Antrim last Sunday after aggravating the calf injury he carried into the game. The forward suffered a recurrence of the problem during the warm-up but started the game.
O’Carroll, meanwhile, underwent appendix surgery and the Wexford game will come too soon for him.
Daly confirmed: “Liam Ryan is in big trouble. He shouldn’t have started against Antrim; the injury went again in the warm-up but he said he’d battle on.”
SH CHALLENGE:Ger Farragher scored 1-12 as an understrength Galway side – playing their final challenge game before taking on Kilkenny in the Leinster hurling championship on Saturday week – saw off Offaly at Athenry last night.
SCORERS:Galway: G Farragher (1-12, 0-8 from frees, 0-1 from 65), J Gantley (1-3), E Forde (0-5), K Hynes (0-1), D Joyce (0-1), G Mahon (0-1); Offaly: B Carroll (0-9, five frees), J Bergin (0-5, three frees), R Hanniffy (0-3), C Parlan (0-2), C Coughlan (0-2), D Molloy (0-1), E Bevans (0-1).
