DJ Carey ready for Laois

Although Kilkenny are beset with injury worries as they prepare for the Leinster hurling semi-final against Laois, their talisman DJ Carey looks increasingly likely to feature.

Carey, who played no part in the county's last competitive outing against Galway in the league semi-final came through a work out with the team on Sunday.

Carey had been suffering back pain due to disc trouble and while he didn't push himself too hard during the session, his movement was encouraging.

His on-going recovery offers manager Brian Cody some reason for optimism despite a plethora of debilitating injuries to his squad.

PJ Delaney is listed as doubtful having been waylaid through groin trouble while Philly Larkin has contracted septic elbow. Brian McEvoy also pulled up at a recent training session and is currently under-going treatment.

However, Kilkenny's worries pale in comparison to those of All-Ireland champions Offaly, who begin their defence with a potentially torrid clash against the 1996 All-Ireland champions Wexford.

Definitely unavailable for selection is forward Billy Dooley, who pulled a hamstring during training while midfielder Michael Duignan is still recovering from a similar problem, having wrenched a hamstring during a friendly match in Birr over a month ago. Kevin Martin has been sidelined with a groin injury while Joe Errity's fitness is also questionable, due to shoulder ligament trouble.

Meanwhile, Colm Cassidy, the Waterford I.T. student who played at both wing-back and midfield for Offaly last summer, looks set to miss this year's entire campaign, having gone to America for the summer. Cassidy graduated from Waterford I.T last month and had, for some time, been considering spending some time in the States. Michael Bond and his selectors were hoping to finalise a team selection last night.

Their opponents Wexford have been buoyed by the return to health of Rod Guiney, Ryan Quigley, Gary Laffan and Eugene Furlong, none of whom were available to Rory Kinsella for the difficult first round championship match against Dublin. Their availability will compensate for the absence of Darragh Ryan, who will still need some weeks to recover from the dead leg he received in the Dublin game and which led to his substitution at half time.

Clare, meanwhile are trying to put a positive spin on the injuries picked up by the inspirational Davey Fitzgerald and Jamesie O'Connor over the course of Saturday's win against Tipperary. While it is understood that O'Connor was discharged from hospital in Cork yesterday, the prognosis remains bleak for Clare in that they will be forced to plan without him for up to eight weeks. Goalkeeper Fitzgerald, however, will almost certainly be fit for the Munster final against Cork.

"Davy's wrist is badly swollen at the moment but there is no break as was originally feared," offered Clare PRO Des Crowe yesterday.

He added that while O'Connor's loss was inestimable, the sense of gloom had been eased by PJ O'Connell coming out of retirement and by the fact that Fergie Touhy's three month suspension ends on Saturday.