*Shane Meehan battles to get away from Limerick’s Richie English. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
Concerns on the fitness of Clare forward, Shane Meehan have emerged in the lead-up to Saturday’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final.
Meehan is understood to have aggravated a foot injury during the Munster SHC final and is a potential doubt for this weekend’s showdown against Darragh Egan’s Wexford.
Management and panellists have remained tight lipped on any such injury with Meehan wearing a protective boot following the Limerick game, having sustained a suspected fracture.
Saturday is likely to come too soon for Aidan McCarthy to make his first championship start but should Brian Lohan’s men overcome Wexford, then he would be in contention for a semi-final showing against Kilkenny. The Inagh/Kilnamona clubman has been tipped to be named among the substitutes this weekend.
Lohan and his management received a big boost on Wednesday night after a procedural query raised by Galway GAA led to the proposed suspensions for Peter Duggan, Rory Hayes and Galway’s own Cianan Fahy being quashed.
This has eliminated a potential headache for management in trying to bring some physicality to the Banner forward line, had Duggan been absent.
Scariff’s Mark Rodgers also returned from injury in the Munster Final and will be hopeful of seeing even more game-time, this weekend. Ballyea duo, Paul Flanagan and Tony Kelly both had to be substituted in the three point loss to Limerick at different stages due to injury, however the pair are set to retain their places in the starting fifteen for the 3:45pm clash on Saturday.
Wexford come into the game off the back of a 3-30 0-18 win over Kerry last weekend. The Model County welcome Lee Chin back to full fitness, he will form a key part of their attack along with Rory O’Connor and Conor McDonald.
When managed by Davy Fitzgerald, Matthew O’Hanlon was given the task of trying to curb Tony Kelly but it is expected that Fitzgerald’s successor will opt for a different approach to try minimise the influence of the St Flannan’s school teacher.
