GAELIC GAMES TEAM NEWS:DUBLIN FOOTBALL manager Pat Gilroy appears to have ruled out veteran defender Bryan Cullen from the county's championship plans.
Cullen made it through to this year’s Sigerson Cup campaign, helping DCU to the title, but pulled up at intercounty training this week due to a problematic bulging disc in his back.
“He tried to rest for a couple of weeks before coming back out to play again during the week and after 10 minutes he couldn’t really stand the pain, so we really have to get him to a number of specialists now to see what is the way forward for him because with the pain he just can’t try to train through it,” said Gilroy.
“So it is probably a much bigger concern. We thought it was something that would settle with rest but it hasn’t and it is a big concern because the kind of things that have to be done there would mean months of recovery as opposed to a two-week recovery job.
“Obviously we want to avoid surgery at all costs, especially with something like the back, but if he had to do that then that’s something that would have to be done.”
Alan Brogan is another Dublin regular deemed not fit enough to start against Tyrone on Sunday in Omagh for the last round of the National League but he could feature off the bench.
“He’s played 30 minutes of a full training match,” Gilroy continued. “He’s been out a good while and he’s obviously kept himself in good shape but we didn’t think it was the right game to throw him into at this stage. I guess we’d hope to use him at some stage at the weekend.”
Gilroy is using the fixture to try midfielder Denis Bastick at centre back and gives Niall Corkery his league debut at centre forward with this season’s hurling recruit Ross O’Carroll coming in alongside his younger brother Rory in the full back line. St Vincent’s goalkeeper Michael Savage gets another opportunity ahead of Stephen Cluxton.
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has made four changes for at Healy Park clash. Philip Jordan makes his first start since last August’s All-Ireland semi-final against Cork, coming in at wing back. Ryan McMenamin moves to left corner back, with Cathal McCarron dropping to the bench. The goalkeeper rotation policy continues, with Johnny Curran replacing Pascal McConnell.
Up front, Brian McGuigan replaces his younger brother Tommy, while Mark Donnelly comes in for Owen Mulligan, who is ruled out after sustaining a back injury at work. Seán Cavanagh is named at full forward. Kevin Hughes returns to the bench following a shoulder injury picked up in the defeat to Monaghan to give Tyrone an extra midfield option.
If Dublin win and Mayo lose away to Cork, they will face the Rebels in the league final on April 24th. Conor Counihan has brought some bit names back into his line-up ahead of Mayo’s visit to Páirc Uí Rinn with Graham Canty and Anthony Lynch returning to the defence. Alan Quirke also resumes the goalkeeping duties.
Aidan Walsh comes into midfield in place of Alan O’Connor.
TYRONE: (NFL v Dublin): J Curran, D Carlin, Joe McMahon, R McMenamin, D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan, A Cassidy, C Cavanagh, K Coney, B McGuigan, P Harte, M Penrose, S Cavanagh, M Donnelly.
DUBLIN(NFL v Tyrone): M Savage; P Conlon, Rory O'Carroll, Ross O'Carroll; P McMahon, D Bastick, C O'Sullivan; E Fennell, R McConnell; D Henry (capt), N Corkery, P Flynn; A Hubbard, K McManamon, B Brogan.
CORK(NFL v Mayo): A Quirke; E Cotter, M Shields, A Lynch; K OConnor, G Spillane, G Canty; A Walsh, D Kavanagh; F Goold, D O'Connor, K McMahon; C O'Neill, C Sheehan, J Hayes.
WEXFORD(NFL v Antrim): A Masterson; D Carter, J Wadding, N Murphy; B Malone, D Murphy, A Doyle; B Doyle, E Bradley; C Deely, R Barry, A Flynn; C Lyng, B Brosnan, S Roche.
