KINGDOM PAIR READY TO JOIN FORWARD UNIT
KERRY look set to roll out the big guns for the latter stages of the League with David Clifford and James O’donoghue nearing full fitness.
Neither has played for the county since last year’s Championship as they recover from injury but manager Peter Keane has indicated that they could be in the shake-up for the round six tie against Mayo in Tralee on March 16.
Kerry have made a flying start to the League with wins over Tyrone, Cavan and Dublin and play Galway in Tuam on Sunday.
Keane (below) said: “I reckon David Clifford should be back within the next three weeks, he is in good nick, he is doing a bit of running and he is not far away.
“James O’donoghue is in a similar position as he is back on the field and training away.
“Kevin Mccarthy is back training with us this week after his club exploits with Kilcummin so we will see what shape he is in.
“Jason Foley and
Shane Enright along with Gavin Crowley are also in the mix but look you never know what knocks you might pick up during the week.”
Kerry will be without Brian O Beaglaoich in Tuam after the defender was hit with a one-match ban following the fracas that broke out after the win over Dublin, which Keane, unsurprisingly, says he didn’t see much of.
Meanwhile, Keane says the the reduction in the number of permitted substitutes from six to five for the League owing to the black card change has been troublesome.
“It’s restrictive and we did not introduce Mikey Geaney our fifth sub until the 69th minute against Dublin.
“You could have put a fellow on after 62 minutes, your last sub, but then if a fella got injured or went down with cramp, you could find yourself in situation where if you also lost a fella to the sin bin, then you could find yourself with 13 men and maybe trying to hang on to a slender lead.
“That is definitely an issue and something you have to be cognisant of when you are on the line.
“If you have a relatively young team and lads are tiring out there, it’s not helpful but look it’s the same for everybody so there is not much use in me crying about it only to get on with it.”