Dublin’s Kevin McManamon in the dark over Macauley injury

Kevin McManamon has played down the speculation that Dublin team mate Michael Darragh Macauley could miss their quest for a third All-Ireland football title in succession due to a knee injury.

Macauley has been nursing the injury since coming off the bench in last month’s Allianz Football League final defeat to Kerry, and also retired early in a recent club game with Ballyboden St Enda’s. While the injury has required further attention and will possibly rule him out for Dublin’s opening games, McManamon suggests it’s still too early assess the full extent of it.

“Speculation is your word, but I don’t know a huge amount about it,” said McManamon, adding that Dublin are only back to full training this week, and Macauley’s injury status is still somewhat in the dark.

“He would be (a big loss). But I don’t know a huge amount about it. People seem to know more than I do, because I haven’t spoken to Mick myself.”

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At 30, Macauley remains central to manager Jim Gavin’s midfield options, and only time will tell about his exact involvement this summer.

McManamon, meanwhile, declared himself in the shape of his life, and happy about Dublin’s extended break since that league defeat.

“I loved it, I have to say. I was able to get away from the Dublin set-up for a bit and get back, stuck in, with the club,” the St Jude’s forward said, speaking on Wednesday at the launch of a Topaz Cash for Clubs launch event in Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA club in Ringsend.

“We’d a couple of good wins in the club championship, so it was just nice to get an extended break. Usually you don’t get away from it for long enough, so we were kind of itching to go back moving properly this week with Dublin. Good to be back.

“It was more due to the two rounds of the club championship being so separate, and with the under-21 All-Ireland kind of tightening up a little bit, and the league tightening up. I think that’s more the reason behind it. And then, yeah, maybe being full of energy going into the summer.”

Dublin will begin their quest for a seventh Leinster title final against Wexford or Carlow on June 3rd.