*Ikem Ugwueru. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
IKEM UGWUERU is expected to return to the Clare senior football side for Sunday’s Munster final showdown with Kerry.
Injury ruled the three-time Clare SFC winner out of the 2-18 1-15 semi-final win over Tipperary held on April 19th in Zimmer Biomet Páirc Cíosóg.
Had Ugwueru been needed on that occasion, he would have been sprung from the bench with management making the call to avoid doing further damage by using him in the semi-final.
Such an approach appears to have worked with Ikem in line to return to the Clare starting fifteen as they face the tricky task of trying to take down Kerry in a Munster final in their own back yard.
Ahead of the Munster final, Clare trained in Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday, for many of the panel it was their first time in the Killarney venue with the majority of ties between the sides at underage level taking place in Austin Stack Park, Tralee.
Peter Keane and his management are not expected to ring many changes to the starting team apart from the addition of Ugwueru. Those at risk of losing out with his return are wing forward Ciaran Downes and wing back Fionn Kelleher.
Doonbeg’s Eamon Tubridy although he went off injured in the semi-final will retain his spot between the posts with the full-back line of captain Cillian Brennan at three flanked by Manus Doherty and Ronan Lanigan.
Cillian Rouine mans the defence at centre back where fellow North Clare man Alan Sweeney will join him in the half-back line.
Brian McNamara and Emmet McMahon are understood to the midfield pairing with the attack set to be comprised of Eoin Cleary, Dermot Coughlan, Aaron Griffin, Mark McInerney and Keelan Sexton.
Having recovered from a string of injuries, the cause to include Brendy Rouine of Ennistymon in the matchday panel merits review. His omission from the semi-final squad caused surprise, Brendy’s ability to play in midfield or the forward offers multiple options from one player alone off the bench.
