THE BANE of injuries has helped to instill a touch of realism into the Wexford camp as they prepare to resume their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship campaign with a semi final engagement against Dublin at Croke Park next Sunday.
Corner forward Paul Codd is a definite absentee, after fracturing two bones in his knee in a recent challenge with Waterford, while versatile defender Ger Cush is rated "doubtful." Cush sustained an ankle injury in training and a decision on his fitness will be taken at training tonight.
"Paul, especially, is in a bad way and he has no chance of playing again for some time. He will be a bad loss to us, said Wexford manager Liam Griffin. "Ger's injury is obviously not as bad but he did suffer a bad turn on his ankle. He is still doubtful, but I am hopeful that he will make it.
And Griffin is quick to dismiss any suggestions that all Wexford have to do is turn up on Sunday to book a place in the final.
"Okay, it was great to get the Kilkenny monkey off our backs. But it was only a first round match, no more, no less. We came hack down to earth very quickly and have focussed on Dublin ever since.
"It will, be a hell of a match with Dublin; it always is. We certainly will not be taking anything for granted," added Griffin. The Wexford team will be announced tomorrow.
Dublin - whose last win in the Leinster championship was recorded in the 1991 semi final encounter with Offaly - hope former Kilkenny star Eamonn Morrissey, who declared for his adopted, county last year but was unavailable, to assist them in the National League, will be fit to play after suffering a shoulder ligament injury with his club O'Tooles.
"Eamonn feels he has a chance," admitted Dublin boss Jimmy Gray. "But we will put him through his paces at training and see what the story is it would be a tremendous boost to us if Eamonn is fit to play."
The injury scourge is also causing concern in Offaly, where Johnny Pilkington's fate will be decided at a training session tonight.
Pilkington suffered a broken finger during Offaly's provincial quarter final win over Meath and, is very doubtful for Sunday's semi final encounter with neighbours Laois, which forms part of the Croke Park "double header."
The Offaly team will be finalised after tonight's training session.
While Tipperary's Munster Senior Hurling Final date with Limerick is still three weeks away, team boss Father Tom Fogarty is unsure whether or not attacker Nick English will be able to play.
English sustained a calf strain in assisting Tipperary to a comfortable win over Kerry in the Munster semi final at Tralee last Saturday night: "The only good thing is that, we took Nicky off the field as soon as he received the injury," said Fogarty.
Meanwhile, four of the Tipperary side who were in action in the senior semi final against Kerry will assist the county's Under 21s in the Munster encounter with Limerick at Semple Stadium tomorrow night. Goalkeeper Brendan Cummins, full back Paul Shelley, Tommy Dunne, at centre field, and Liam Cahill, who leads the attack, will get an early sample of the Tipperary Limerick rivalry.
. New York manager Mike Tennyson, whose side caused a huge upset when beating London in the All Ireland `B' semi final at Gaelic Park last Sunday (1-16 to 0-14) has issued a warning, to either Wicklow or Derry, who will provide next month's final opposition.
We have a team capable of competing with the best and, with another three weeks to re are for the final, we are confident of causing another upset, he said.
