Dublin could be without a number of frontline players for Sunday’s Leinster football semi-final against Kildare at Croke Park.
Dean Rock, Jonny Cooper and Eoin Murchan all missed the runaway first round victory over Louth last month and are struggling to win their fitness battles ahead of the tie with Cian O’Neill’s side.
Rock has a hamstring issue though Cormac Costello proved to be more than able deputy last time out, slotting 1-12 in his absence.
Cooper has an ankle injury and while Dublin manager Jim Gavin said that Murchan had been “a little bit sick” ahead of the Louth game, the Na Fianna man is believed to now have a soft tissue injury which places a question mark over his involvement on Sunday.
Additionally, Paddy Andrews hasn’t played since suffering a broken jaw in March while Paul Mannion will serve a one-match suspension having been sent off against Louth unless Dublin manage to successfully challenge the red card with the Central Hearings Committee this week.
The odds for the game are unlikely to shift dramatically on Dublin absentees, however, with the All-Ireland champions unbackable favourites to record a 26th consecutive victory in the province since Meath beat them in 2010.
Dublin’s dominance in Leinster is reflected in the public apathy around Sunday’s double-header, with the Meath-Laois semi-final also on the bill, as little more than 30,000 are expected to attend.
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