No county will feel the landscape has changed during the three-week hiatus in the Allianz Football League more than Kerry, although there is hope on the horizon as several players are set to return for Sunday’s Division One showdown with Mayo in Castlebar.
Among them will be Johnny Buckley, Fionn Fitzgerald, Kieran O’Leary and Daithí Casey (all back from club duty with Dr Crokes) plus Marc Ó Sé (back from an extended winter break) and possibly even Darran O’Sullivan (coming back from hip surgery).
Not that this will make-up for the season-long absence of Colm "Gooch" Cooper, who suffered a knee fracture and cruciate ligament rupture playing for the Dr Crokes in their All-Ireland club semi-final last Saturday week: however, his Dr Crokes team-mates haven't delayed their return, partly given Cooper's absence, and all four of them were back training with Kerry this week. O'Leary is unlikely to feature, as he's still carrying an injury since the club defeat to Castlebar Mitchels, and likewise with O'Sullivan, with Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice confirming he was "still a bit away yet, in terms of competitive football".
Almost certain to feature
Ó Sé is almost certain to feature at some stage, having recently declared he was "bursting for road again", even though he is now just a few weeks shy of his 34th birthday.
Sunday’s game has surprisingly come with the backdrop of relegation, given both Kerry and Mayo lost their opening two games. However, Kerry lost their opening four games last year and still survived – and Fitzmaurice, not surprisingly, isn’t pressing any panic buttons just yet: We are not going to panic, regardless of how it pans out,” he said. “There is a big picture, and come the summer time, we will be right, and we will be ready to go. At the moment we are building a bit, trying to develop players, but at the same time we still want results. The semi-finals are still not out of reach for us, but we just need to get points on the board, because that will generate momentum.”
Mayo – who have an average of 1-17 from their opening two games and still lost them both (to Tyrone and Kildare) will still be without their Castlebar Mitchels, as they prepare for their All-Ireland club final on St Patrick's Day. Tyrone will look to extend their unbeaten start to 2014 with a trip to Newbridge to face Kildare: Mickey's Harte team did draw with Derry in their opening game, but have since beaten Mayo, and also Cavan, in the deferred McKenna Cup final.
Announce his team
Dublin's meeting with Cork in Croke Park on Saturday night will likely decide who tops the Division One table going into round four. Manager Jim Gavin will announce his team tomorrow morning, the main change in Dublin's landscape during the three-week hiatus being the loss of corner back Kevin O'Brien, who also ruptured his cruciate ligament, on Sigerson Cup duty, since the round two win over Westmeath.
Meanwhile, Limerick hurler David Breen has confirmed that he won’t be returning to county duty until after the league campaign, having elected to have surgery on his injured knee.
