Limerick setback as injury rules English out of final and Hannon hopes remain in the balance
MICHAEL VERNEY
Limerick boss John Kiely may be forced to dig even deeper into his reserves for Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC final against Kilkenny with All-Star defender Richie English set to miss out from the match-day squad due to injury.
Kiely is already planning without four-time All-Star corner-back Seán Finn after a season-ending cruciate knee ligament injury suffered earlier this summer while captain, and centre-back, Declan Hannon is a major doubt after missing their All-Ireland semi-final victory over Galway with a knee injury.
English (above) is understood to have suffered an injury in training over the weekend and his expected absence cuts further into Kiely’s defensive options, given that the experienced Doon clubman has featured off the bench three times in this year’s championship.
English was sprung in their Munster SHC battles against Tipperary and Cork before also featuring in the final quarter of their provincial final win against Clare, and his absence is one which Kiely could do without given the lack of options in the full-back line.
Kilkenny boss Derek Lyng is also sweating over the fitness of key defender David Blanchfield with the towering Bennettsbridge clubman believed to have picked up a serious knock in their All-Ireland semi-final victory over Clare.
Interestingly, Limerick and Kilkenny will not be having their traditional post-match banquets in Dublin on Sunday night with rising hotel costs the chief reason for the two squads heading back home on the same day.