Injury worries for Meath and Kildare
Meath captain Kevin Reilly will be hoping that the Royal County can overcome the handicap of injuries to key players when he leads his team out for the leinster SFC semi-final against Kildare at Croke Park on Sunday, 2.0, live on RTE 2.
Mickey Newman is on the doubtful list with a hamstring problem and joins Conor Gillespie, Eamon Wallace, Davy Dalton and Cillian O’Sullivan on the injury list, but the Kilmainham man is not expected to be a long-term casualty.
Donaghmore/Ashbourne man Bryan Menton and Eoghan Harrington (Wolfe Tones) have returned to full training after picking up injuries in recent weeks and both are expected to be available, with Menton most likely to return to the starting line-up.
Newman’s absense creates an attacking crisis for Meath as he is the top scorer with 7-30 to his credit.Newman is also the main free-taker, but it is likely that Shane O’Rourke, Andy Tormey or Stephen Bray could deputise.
Doubts also remain over the fitness of Donal Keogan. The Rathkenny man was withdrawn at half-time in the win over Carlow.
Kildare's will be without defender Peter Kelly, a 2010 Allstar, who has been ruled out after suffering a tear in his hamstring at training over the weekend.
It's the latest injury for Kelly in a year that has already been significantly disrupted. The latest injury comes after Kelly had just battled his way back to fitness after a serious knee injury.He also missed Kildare's NFL Div 1 campaign that ended in relegation.
Kildare manager Jason Ryan will also be without forward Darroch Mulhall who also missed the game against Louth.
Dublin will play Wexford in the second semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday, 4pm also on RTE 2.
LAST FIVE CLASHES
2012
Meath 1-17 Kildare 1-11 (Leinster semi-final)
2011
Kildare 0-16 Meath 0-10 (Leinster quarter-final)
2010
Kildare 2-17 Meath 1-12 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
2007
Meath 2-11 Kildare 1-8 (Leinster first round)
2003
Kildare 0-15 Meath 1-11 (Leinster semi-final).