*Cillian Rouine. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
CLARE football captain Cillian Rouine has yet to receive the all-clear to be considered for selection in the second round of the Allianz National Football League while there is better news for vice captain Mark McInerney.
Manager Paul Madden has said no team will finish unbeaten in the competitive Division 3 of the Allianz National Football.
Round two sees Clare welcome Westmeath to Ennis on Sunday with captain Cillian Rouine still waiting to make his first appearance for the new management headed up by Madden.
Rouine has been out of action since the end of November after breaking a bone in his hand in a training collision, not long after preparations commenced for the coming season, which is understood to have required a minor operation.
A starting berth this weekend is unlikely for the Ennistymon defender but an appearance has not been ruled out.
Speaking to The Clare Echo, Madden said, “He hasn’t been involved in full contact training yet so he will have to be doing that next week to be in with a chance. He needs to be assessed by the medics and if the physios and medics say he is good to go then he is good to go but that is only in terms of training, you have to be in full contact training if you are going to go into a National League game, he is our captain so we would love to have him”.
There is more optimism for vice captain Mark McInerney, a vomiting bug interrupted his involvement in the opening round loss to Down but he is expected to be back at the edge of the square this weekend. “There was no injury, he was sick for the last two days, to be fair we probably shouldn’t have played him, he had a vomiting bog, he gave us as much as he could but he had no energy, he still managed to get three points in the first half for us, he really had nothing in the tank and at half time we asked him to stay on for a few minutes and help us get the first score or two, in fairness to him he did everything he could”.
It is now imperative for Clare to start picking up points in the tight Division, he stressed. “Limerick drew with Laois, I just have a feeling every team is going to lose a game in this group, I honestly feel that, it is a tough division, we just have to concentrate and need to get on track at home to Westmeath so the pressure is on us, we put savage pressure on ourselves coming up to Newry, nobody gave us a chance but we knew we had a chance if we played well, we have prepared well, the lads are in good shape and the attitude has been excellent but we need to pick up points”.
