Dublin hurling manager Anthony Daly has received mixed news on the injury front ahead of Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1 final against Kilkenny at Croke Park.
Centre back Joey Boland is back in contention to start against the Cats, but Liam Rushe is still struggling with a shoulder injury that could force the young Palmerstown man to miss the Dubs’ first League final in 65 years.
Boland (pictured) has been out of action since sustaining a metatarsal injury in the defeat to Galway at the end of March, which forced him to sit out the subsequent draw with Tipperary and the crucial defeat of Cork on Leeside.
The news is not so promising for Rushe, who missed the final group game against the Rebels having damaged his shoulder while on a warm-weather training camp in Portugal.
Alan McCrabbe and Maurice O’Brien will both be battling for starting places after returning from length injury lay-offs to feature from the bench against Cork.
Opponents Kilkenny, also beset by injury problems, have been handed a major boost following the return to action of key defenders JJ Delaney and Tommy Walsh.
Walsh and Delaney, sidelined by shoulder and hamstring problesm resepctively, were on Club duty in the first round of the county hurling league over the weekend.
Richie Hogan and Richie Power also featured for their Clubs, although Aidan Fogarty (broken ankle), Michael Fennelly (broken hand) and John Dalton (ankle) will all miss out.
