Kilmacud Crokes must plan without leading marksman Mark Vaughan for Thursday's Dublin senior football championship semi-final against UCD as the intercounty forward has been ruled out for three months with a damaged a/c shoulder joint.
Vaughan scored six points in Saturday's quarter-final victory over Lucan Sarsfields before being forced to retire. Crokes full forward Mark Davoran (ankle injury) is another concern.
Na Fianna, who play St Vincent's in the other semi-final look certain to be without Dessie Farrell because of a calf strain.
But they may have a more pressing concern as a doubt lingers over the eligibility of Na Fianna replacement Gary Mullin, who made a significant impact in their quarter-final victory over St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh. Mullin was sent off in the Chicago championship earlier this year but an interim ruling deemed him eligible to play.
Dublin County Board secretary John Costello was unavailable for comment yesterday but he did confirm, via a press release, that both semi-finals would go ahead as a double-header this Thursday, despite a request from Kilmacud to reschedule their contest to Saturday evening.
This requires switching the Interprovincial hurling semi-final between Leinster and Ulster from Dublin to Tullamore.
"It's unfortunate if players have to take the evening off work, play a game and then be back in work the next morning just five days after their last game," said Kilmacud county board delegate Martin Glynn.
In response to the Costello statement, Crokes will hold an executive meeting tonight where they hope to "appeal to the (Dublin GAC's) better senses."
