HURLING:TOMMY WALSH is likely to miss the rest of Kilkenny's National Hurling League campaign after sustaining a shoulder injury against Waterford on Sunday, while fellow defender JJ Delaney was last night undergoing further tests on a hamstring injury sustained the same match.
Selector Martin Fogarty said yesterday Walsh’s injury could rule him out for up to six weeks.
Delaney admitted Kilkenny are battling a severe injury crisis but insisted: “It’s better off getting them at this time of the year rather than later on, like what happened last year. And there’s no point in having a panel there if we can’t use them. It will put us in a good state for later in the year – it’s not a bad thing at all.”
Fogarty said: “It’s a fair battering we’re getting. People aren’t happy with results either but they don’t realise we have maybe 10 first-choice players missing and they expect lads to come in and fill those slots in the very same way.”
Michael Fennelly and James “Cha” Fitzpatrick were late withdrawals from the Kilkenny team, while Jackie Tyrrell, Michael Rice, Richie Power, Henry Shefflin and John Tennyson are also sidelined.
Fogarty added: “We’re still expected to go out and beat Waterford convincingly. It’s off the wall. With Tommy’s injury, you might as well wait a couple of weeks to see how that is. Michael Rice has a similar problem. He got injured against Wexford and is out for six weeks.”
Long-term cruciate knee ligament victims Shefflin and Tennyson are “still a long way off yet”, according to Fogarty.
“Richie Power is a good few weeks away but that’s the way it goes. You could pick up injuries in training too but we hope they clear up and we don’t get any more of them.”
Meanwhile, Kilkenny sources have hinted there may be no further call-ups from All-Ireland club finalists O’Loughlin Gaels to the county squad, following the return of new captain Brian Hogan last week.
The absence of Martin Comerford from the Kilkenny panel throws the intercounty future of the experienced forward into doubt – although it is understood Comerford had already planned to take an extended break and would not have returned until championship time, if selected.
Elsewhere, Tipperary corner-back Paddy Stapleton has revealed he avoided long-term rib damage from his collision with Cork forward Michael Cussen in last Sunday’s clash at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Stapleton was examined at Cork University Hospital on Sunday where scans revealed bad bruising but no broken ribs. The Borrisoleigh clubman looks set to miss out on next Sunday’s visit to Galway but hopes to be ready for his club’s North SHC opener against Portroe on Sunday week, April 10th.
Stapleton, 25, admitted he was “very sore” yesterday and has been advised to rest. The 2009 and 2010 All Star nominee was bed-bound yesterday and on painkillers but is delighted his injury is less serious than first feared.
