Mayo manager Kevin McStay. Photo: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
Kevin McStay has announced his full 36-man squad for the All-Ireland series which begins for Mayo next Saturday, May 20, against All-Ireland champions Kerry.
With the exception of Brendan Harrison, Cillian O’Connor, Rory Brickenden, McStay has a fit and healthy squad to choose from following last weekend’s challenge game Tyrone.
O’Connor, the championship’s all-time leading scorer, is in a race against time to be fit for the encounter at Fitzgerald Stadium, a venue where he overtook Colm Cooper as the all-time leader almost four years ago.
The Ballintubber ace missed the National League final win over Galway due to a knee injury and and came off the benchfor the Connacht championship defeat to Roscommon. Speaking to the local media this morning in the Dr. Mickey Loftus Room at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park, McStay said ‘it’s very tight’ whether hell be fit to play.
“Cillian O’Connor is right at the edge of returning to play and we will make a decision on that for the next match. It’s very tight and we might wait for the following one depending on medical, physio and S&C inputs and then our decision.
”The next time we have him back we’ll be hoping to have him back for the rest of the season because his inputs have been really good when he has come on or started.”
Westport full-back Brickenden will definitely miss the Kerry game but in a positive development, McStay said he could be available at the end of the month or early June after undergoing surgery on his shoulder.
Aghamore’s Brendan Harrison also went under the knife following an ACL injury and is currently ahead of schedule with his rehabilitation. McStay siad he could also be available in June.
Four men who won’t play any part of the remainder of the championship are Ballina Stephenites’ Mikey Murray, Ballintubber’s Bryan Walsh and Westport duo Mark Moran and Niall McManamon after they all left the squad due to persistent injuries.
“They’ve worked so hard but keep getting knocked back with recurring injuries,” admitted McStay. “The agreement was that they’ll go back to their clubs and see if nature heals them and gets them back again. These are good lads and, I said to them, if they’re not back in the panel next year, it will be their fault not mine. Because we’ll be going looking for them and it’s up to them to put themselves in the shop window again.”
Mayo’s 36-man squad is as follows (named in alphabetical order): Aidan O’Shea, Aiden Orme, Bob Tuohy, Brendan Harrison (injured), Cillian O’Connor (injured), Conor Loftus, Conor McStay, Colm Reape, David McBrien, Darren McHale, Diarmuid O’Connor, Donnacha McHugh, Eoghan McLaughlin, Enda Hession, Fionn McDonagh, Frank Irwin, Jack Carney, Jack Coyne, James Carr, Jason Doherty, James McCormack, Jordan Flynn, Kevin McLoughlin, Matthew Ruane, Michael Plunkett, Paddy Durcan (captain), Padraig O’Hora, Paul Towey, Rob Hennelly, Rory Brickenden (injured), Rory Byrne, Ruairi Keane, Ryan O’Donoghue, Sam Callinan, Stephen Coen (vice-captain), Tommy Conroy (vice-captain).
You can read the Kevin McStay interview in full in Tuesday’s edition of The Western People.