Marsden unlikely to be fit for Armagh

Armagh are resigned to lining out in Sunday's Ulster final without principal forward Diarmuid Marsden. The player who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career damaged ankle ligaments in the semi-final against Fermanagh and had to be replaced early in the match.

County secretary Paddy Nugent says the prognosis is bleak enough that even leaving a vacancy looks unlikely. "He's done nothing since the Fermanagh game except physio work. It's anybody's guess at the moment but we'll probably be naming somebody else in his place when the team is announced on Thursday."

Marsden was prominent in last year's semi-final win over Derry at Clones and scored the winning point at the very end of the match.

Last year he also made an impact in a couple of matches after coming on as a substitute and a similar role this weekend looks about the limit of his realistic ambitions.

The defending champions have other problems with the Drumcree crisis in the county and its associated public disturbances causing practical difficulties for the players and others coming and going to training.

"There's been problems," according to Nugent, "with guys not being able to get out on time and having to travel different routes. This time of the year it's always a hassle for us in this part of the country."

Meanwhile, the good news for Kilkenny is that John Power, who made such an impact for the champions in the Leinster hurling final against Offaly last weekend, is almost certain to be fit for the semi-final against Galway or Tipperary in just under five weeks' time.

"He has a cracked bone in his hand," says manager Brian Cody. "We still have to get further opinion but it mightn't be that bad and we've been told he could be back in three weeks. We've five weeks before the semi-final and so we're hopeful that he'll be able to play.

"After the All-Ireland, he put his head down and worked hard. He was written off and people were surprised that he was picked for Sunday. Last year we played Laois, Offaly, Clare and Cork.

"Offaly were All-Ireland champions at the time, Clare were bursting to get back to an All-Ireland and we lost by just a point to Cork. I didn't think it was a matter of judging him on the basis of one game. He was outstanding last year overall. He's a player of total honesty. That's what you get from him."

Cody believes that Offaly will improve as in previous years now that they have emerged from Leinster, albeit as runners-up for the third successive year.

"I expect a huge improvement from them. They're very economical players and the only question mark over them is how hungry they are after winning the All-Ireland two years ago. But they're very proud hurlers."

Power's performance against Offaly was particularly impressive given that last year's championship ended in disappointment with a below-par performance by him in the All-Ireland final against Cork. "Cody says he wasn't surprised by Power's recovery from that setback.

In Sligo, the county board are anxious that Mickey Moran stays on as manager of the county footballers despite the huge 18-point defeat by Galway in the Connacht semi-final.

"We will be reviewing the position," according to Sligo PRO Father Liam Devine, "but we would be delighted to have him again. He's gone to think about it. It takes an awful lot of commitment particularly with the distance he has to travel but we would be more than happy for him to stay on."

Limerick and Clare will have their last chance of Munster hurling championship honours this year when their under-21s meet in the semi-finals at Ennis tomorrow.

Limerick manager Dave Keane is troubled because of injuries to key players Colm Hickey and Stephen Lucey but he will have Brian Begley in the side as well as such talents as Eugene Mulcahy, John Meskell, Sean O'Connor and Dave Stapleton.

For their part, Clare will be looking to John Reddan, Gerry Quinn, Kieran Kennedy and Brian McMahon. The authorities are expecting a crowd in the region of 10,000.