Mayo boss James Horan expects to pick from full squad for All-Ireland final

Aidan O’Shea outlines impact on families having to watch games from home


Mayo manager James Horan has said that the team has no injury concerns ahead of next weekend's All-Ireland football final against Dublin. He was speaking at the team's remote media briefing on Wednesday.

"We are okay. We have a couple of knocks that happened the last day. Chris Barrett had a knock and Eoghan [McLaughlin] had a knock but nothing serious, we are all pretty good."

Horan was asked might there be changes to what has looked a fairly settled team.

“More so than any other year we have a lot of players that are very close to the starting 15 and 26. You see our 26 has changed pretty much in each game, we have a good pool to select from.

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“As we have done all year the next couple of sessions will shape some of that. I can’t tell you yet if there will be changes or not but there very possibly could.”

Team captain Aidan O'Shea said the playing of matches behind closed doors impacted on families, who would be going to Croke Park in normal circumstances.

“It is a bit funny getting home from the games and hearing the stories about what’s happened in the house. I’d say dad is trying to watch the game and my mother and partner are getting a bit nervous. Usually they’d be at the games.

“It’s difficult and it’s a bit strange because usually you are heading off in the morning and they’re wishing you well. They’re going to the game and you’ll catch them afterwards. Last weekend it was a three-hour journey home before getting to see them so it is a bit strange. It’s killing my dad, because obviously he’d be at every game possible.”

O’Shea suggested that the admission of families to All-Ireland finals was something that could be looked at and reviewed by Government.

“The hurling is on this weekend. Their families deserve to be in there as much as anybody else. I think it is something that could be done. I mean, could we resource and could we test family members?

“Get an antigen test done – you are getting your results 20 minutes later or something like that. We have the facility there. We have a stadium that could hold 80,000 people, I think you could easily.”