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Odds stacked against Rice, but Hogan may win fitness batlle
ALL-IRELAND champions, Kilkenny look like being without one top star for the crunch championship clash against Cork, and a second player is facing a battle against the clock to be fit.
Right now the odds are very much against All-Star midfielder, Michael Rice being fit for the big Croke Park shooting-out in the All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final on Sunday week.
Meanwhile, ace attacker, Richie Hogan has picked up an ankle injury, and he faces a serious battle to be fit for the fray as the champions go in search of the never before achieved All-Ireland five in-a-row.
"It is hard to know about things at the moment," Kilkenny manager, Brian Cody told the 'People yesterday. "The situation should be clearer by the end of the week or early next week."
The best of the news was that Rice and Hogan were the only injury concerns after the Leinster champions returned from a quiet coaching session away over the weekend, when neither player trained. Others sat out Monday's training session at Nowlan Park, but they were only nursing minor knocks.
Broke bone in hand
The Carrickshock man broke a bone in the back of his right hand during the last round of local senior league. The hand was put in a light plaster to immobilise it.
Rice has a scheduled consultation with orthopaedic surgeon Dr Tadhg O'Sullivan on Tuesday to review the situation.
However, even if the bone has knitted sufficiently for the plaster to be removed, the St Kieran's College teacher would be short of match practice and that would militate against him making the starting XV against the beaten Munster finalists.
The former All-Ireland winning minor captain is currently on top of his game after kicking on strongly following his selection as an All-Star for the first time last season.
He was in tremendous form in the Leinster final win over Galway when he formed a powerful midfield partnership with last year's captain, Michael Fennelly.
Should Rice have to stand aside, the likely replacement would be former Hurler of the Year, James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick who, ironically, missed the start of the campaign with a hamstring injury.
Injury improved
Richie Hogan has had a number of sessions in the hi-tech cryotherapy centre in White's Hotel, Wexford, in a bid to shake-off the ankle ligament injury he sustained during training.
While the injury has improved, it hasn't cleared up completed and Hogan has been booked for a consultation with a specialist in Dublin this week. The Danesfort clubman was used as a sub during the win over Galway after starting in the opening game against Dublin.
The Kilkenny management team ran the rule over Cork during their victory over Antrim in the All-Ireland quarter-final on Sunday.
The verdict from Mr Cody was simple: "We didn't need to see Cork in Croke Park to know they will be deadly dangerous. They were impressive all the same."
The schedule for Croke Park on Sunday week is - All-Ireland minor hurling semi-final, Kilkenny v Galway (1.30pm); All-Ireland senior hurling semi-final, Kilkenny v Cork (3.30pm).
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Weather for Kilkenny
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
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