James O’Donoghue set to miss Kerry’s National Football league campaign

Not many counties would be calmly resigned to losing the Footballer of the Year for their upcoming league campaign.

But Kerry are content to give James O’Donoghue all the time he needs to recover from a shoulder operation – even if that means not having him back until the start of the 2015 championship.

For O’Donoghue, who last month also picked up a second successive football All Star, the decision to undergo surgery on Friday was more a matter of timing than of great urgency.

He may require up to six months of rehabilitation, and with that miss out on Kerry's Allianz Football League campaign, although it will afford him the chance to get the problem sorted well in advance of Kerry's defence of their All-Ireland title.

His shoulder problem was always likely to require surgical intervention at some stage, having first surfaced in advance of their All-Ireland-wining campaign. Indeed O’Donoghue missed Kerry’s Munster championship opener against Clare, having first sprained the AC joint in his left shoulder in advance of that game.

It had been causing some minor problems throughout the summer, and rather than risk any long-term lay-off next summer, the decision was made to undergo the surgery now.

It means the 24-year-old O’Donoghue will be forced to sit out most of Kerry’s league campaign. The All-Ireland champions face a difficult opener against Mayo, the team they eventually got past in their All-Ireland semi-final replay. That game is fixed for Sunday, February 1st in Killarney.

Yet the news of O’Donoghue’s extended absence is at least partly softened by the fact that Colm “Gooch” Cooper remains on track to return to action at some point during the league, although again he won’t be rushed. Cooper has effectively been sidelined for the entire season having torn his cruciate ligament when playing for his club Dr Crokes in last February’s AIB All-Ireland club football semi-final against Castlebar Mitchels.

Winter breaks

Kerry manager

Eamonn Fitzmaurice

is still insisting Cooper won’t be rushed back onto the field of play, telling Radio Kerry that all of Kerry’s more senior players will be given extended winter breaks.

It is also possible that Kerry could be without their new captain. Kieran Donaghy, for the early stages of the league, depending on how far he progresses with his club Austin Stacks.

Should they win a Munster club title next month, that would mean Donaghy giving his club preference until next February, at the earliest, or possibly as long as the All-Ireland club finals date on St Patrick’s Day.

Kerry are also among the last teams allowed back into collective training under the GAA’s winter training ban, and therefore are unable to commence training until December 29th.

“As regards the older players in the squad, it will be on a case by case basis,” explained Fitzmaurice. “Some fellas will need a bit of time off at the start and we will do that. I’ve no fear of doing that, as it gives us an opportunity to give some of the younger fellas a go, and if you get a jersey then it is up to yourself then to hold on to it.

"That's what Paul Murphy did, last year, when he got a go in the McGrath Cup, and he didn't let go, and ended up playing every minute of every game, the whole season through, and was man-of-the-match in the All-Ireland final.

“With Colm (Cooper), he is back working in the gym, he is running, he is in good shape, and he has made great progress with his knee. But he is not ready to play any football yet. I would be hoping that by March he’ll be back ready to play football again. He will feature in a few of the league games, in the March/April window to give him a bit of football and that will be like having a new player again.”

Double-header

Meanwhile, with the Allianz Football League fixtures now confirmed for 2015, Dublin’s Spring Series will feature just one double-header at Croke Park, as four of their seven football games are away.

Dublin’s opening game is away to Cork, a fixture fixed for Sunday, February 1st, at Páirc Uí Rinn. Dublin’s three home football games have all been fixed for Saturday evenings at Croke Park – starting with a rematch of their All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal (on February 7th), then against old rivals Tyrone (on March 7th), and finally, then Derry, in the penultimate round (on March 28th), the team they also beat in this year’s league final.

This also means the one opportunity for a Croke Park double-header with the Dublin hurlers is on Saturday, March 7th - when the Dublin footballers host Tyrone, and the Dublin hurlers, under new boss Ger Cunningham, host Cork