All-Ireland SHC quarter-final Kilkenny v LimerickKilkenny manager Brian Cody has been gradually crossing off names from his list of injured players, and will head into Sunday's All-Ireland hurling quarter-final against Limerick with far less restrictions than feared a week ago.
Team captain Peter Barry trained for the first time on Tuesday evening since the Leinster final win over Wexford on July 3rd, suggesting the groin injury that sidelined him for the past three weeks has responded to rest, and now leaves him in a position to start.
Forward Richie Power looked even more doubtful a week ago when he sustained a shoulder injury in the Leinster under-21 final against Dublin. Subsequent X-rays ruled out a broken collarbone but Power also trained on Tuesday suggesting he, too, is back in Cody's plans for a starting position.
Full back Noel Hickey is ruled out for the season as a result of a viral infection. Fellow defender Jackie Tyrell, who started in the Leinster semi-final win over Offaly, is still hampered by a hamstring injury and hasn't trained this week, although he may yet be included among the substitutes.
The other main selection dilemma for Cody is whether or not to start DJ Carey.
He was surprisingly omitted from the Kilkenny starting line-up for the Leinster final against Wexford. That resulted in some confusion about whether he was short on fitness, or simply dropped for the first time in his career.
Carey's place at full forward that day went to Conor Phelan, who was subsequently replaced by Eoin McCormack. At no stage did Carey appear to be considered as a substitute.
According to team secretary Pat Dunphy, however, there hasn't been a problem with Carey's fitness. "DJ has been fit and training all along," said Dunphy, "and hasn't missed one training session since the Leinster final. So he would be in line for selection.
"The main concerns at the moment are Peter Barry and Richie Power. Peter was back training on Tuesday for the first time, and is obviously lacking a bit of match practice. Richie Power is still sore and stiff from the shoulder injury and only did light training, but he is back in contention now as well."
The team will train again tomorrow evening, after which Cody will announce his starting line-up.
In the meantime, Dunphy admitted that ticket uptake for Sunday's game in Croke Park hasn't been particularly swift, and the double-bill is unlikely to surpass last Sunday's attendance of 55,587. Kilkenny were allocated 10,000 tickets, similar to the three other competing counties, and unlike last Sunday, when Offaly played Antrim in a relegation play-off, there is no additional curtain-raiser this weekend.
"I would be surprised alright if we get any more than last Sunday. There has been reasonable interest, and Tipperary and Galway would always bring a fair number of supporters. And the same with Limerick," he said.
"But the problem sometimes is getting them out. We'll still be selling tickets over the next two days so we won't know until the end of the week exactly how many we've shifted."
Part of the problem is that Kilkenny and Limerick aren't exactly the greatest of hurling rivals. They haven't met in the championship in 31 years, the last time being the All-Ireland final of 1974. Kilkenny came out on top on that occasion, overturning the result of the previous year's final.
The GAA also have announced that they'll be selling tickets for Sunday's quarter-final double bill from their ticket office in Croke Park from 11am until 7pm today and tomorrow, and from 11am until 5.30pm on Saturday.
Adult stand tickets will cost €35 each and Hill 16 tickets €20 There will be no advance sale of tickets for either of Saturday's round four football qualifier games in Hyde Park (Cavan against Mayo) and Portlaoise (Cork against Sligo).
Admission to all areas of the ground will be on a cash basis. Adult entry will cost €25 (covered stands), €20 (uncovered stand - Hyde Park only), €15 (terrace), Juvenile (U-16) €5 and Students/OAP's with appropriate identification €15 (to covered stands) and €10 to all other areas of the ground.
