Derek Lyng forced into big changes for Kilkenny’s clash with Galway

Derek Lyng has been forced into significant team surgery for Sunday’s road trip to Salthill where Kilkenny will take on Galway in the Leinster SHC round-robin.

As flagged during the week, goalkeeper Eoin Murphy (head knock), Adrian Mullen (groin/thigh) and Eoin Cody (ankle) are all ruled out for the clash of Leinster’s two heavyweight contenders. All three were forced off during the landslide win over Antrim last Sunday while Mikey Carey, another who started that day, is not in the match-day 26 either.

Aidan Tallis will deputise for Murphy between the posts, having previously won an All-Ireland U-20 title in 2022 under Lyng’s command.

Tommy Walsh returns in defence instead of Carey, while Billy Ryan and Owen Wall take the forward places of Mullen and Cody.

Henry Shefflin has made four Galway switches from the team that laboured for long spells against Carlow as they seek to step up several gears against Kilkenny.

But even more intriguing is the inclusion on the bench of Johnny Glynn, back from the United States and back on the Galway panel after a five-year hiatus.

Cianan Fahy, David Burke, Brian Concannon and Conor Whelan all start against the Cats with Adrian Tuohey, Donal O’Shea, John Cooney and Declan McLaughlin making way.

Fahy has recovered from illness; Burke and Whelan both came off the bench against Carlow, with the latter making a telling impact; while Concannon will be making his first start of the year.

There are still plenty of familiar names among the listed subs, including Gearóid McInerney, Evan Niland, Joseph Cooney, Jason Flynn and the prodigal Glynn.

John Kiely has made just one enforced change for Limerick’s home clash with Tipperary as the four-in-a-row All-Ireland champions seek to build on their Houdini-like comeback against Clare.

Seán Finn will make his first competitive start since rupturing his ACL against Clare a year ago. The four-time All-Star was introduced within six minutes of the Ennis throw-in for the injured Mike Casey and, with the latter ruled out of Kiely’s match-day squad, Finn retains his old corner-back berth.

But there is one Casey on the bench, as his brother Peter returns from suspension arising from his league semi-final red against Kilkenny.

Tipperary, meanwhile, have handed first championship starts to Eoghan Connolly and Seán Hayes as they begin their campaign with the visit of five-in-a-row-chasing Limerick.

The likes of the McGrath brothers, Noel and John, and Patrick ‘Bonner’ Maher have been named on the bench.

Meanwhile, on paper at least, Brian Lohan has named an unchanged Clare team for Sunday’s crucial Munster SHC showdown away to Cork – with Tony Kelly still on the bench.

Local media is predicting late alterations, however, with Conor Cleary and Darragh Lohan cited as the two chief injury concerns.

Attacking talisman Kelly made his return after a long injury lay-off as a 55th minute sub against Limerick last Sunday, but his comeback coincided with a late collapse in the Banner defence.

From nine up, the team coughed up three goals and the resultant three-point defeat leaves Clare desperate for victory against Rebel opposition who also suffered day-one defeat, to Waterford.

Rebel hurling boss Pat Ryan has made six changes from the side that lost to Waterford last weekend with Niall O’Leary, Eoin Downey, Tim O’Mahony, Ethan Twomey, Declan Dalton and Brian Hayes coming into the side.

KILKENNY (SHC v Galway) – A Tallis; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield, P Deegan, S Murphy; C Kenny, R Reid; M Keoghan, J Donnelly, T Phelan; B Ryan, TJ Reid, O Wall. Subs: D Mason, C Delaney, J Molloy, D Corcoran, K Doyle, C Fogarty, G Dunne, B Drennan, L Hogan, H Shine, L Blanchfield.

GALWAY (SHC v Kilkenny) – D Fahy; J Grealish, Daithí Burke, F Burke; S Linnane, P Mannion, C Fahy; R Glennon, David Burke; G Lee, T Monaghan, B Concannon; C Whelan, C Cooney, C Mannion. Subs: E Murphy, D Morrissey, A Tuohey, G McInerney, T Killeen, John Cooney, D O’Shea, E Niland, Joseph Cooney, J Flynn, J Glynn.

CLARE (SHC v Cork) – E Quilligan; A Hogan, C Cleary, R Hayes; D Ryan, J Conlon, D McInerney; D Fitzgerald, D Lohan; C Malone, M Rodgers, P Duggan; A McCarthy, S O’Donnell, D Reidy. Subs: C Broderick, C Leen, P Flanagan, S Morey, C Galvin, P Donnellan, I Galvin, A Shanagher, S Meehan, R Mounsey, T Kelly.

CORK – P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; T O’Mahony, C Joyce, R Downey; E Twomey, D Fitzgibbon; D Dalton, S Barrett, S Harnedy; B Hayes, A Connolly, P Horgan.

TIPPERARY (SHC v Limerick) – B Hogan; J Ryan, R Maher, C Morgan; M Breen, B O’Mara, C Bowe; W Connors, E Connolly; A Tynan, G O’Connor, J Forde; J Morris, M Kehoe, S Hayes.

LIMERICK – N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, B Nash; D Byrnes, D Hannon, K Hayes; W O’Donoghue, C O’Neill; G Hegarty, D Reidy, T Morrissey; A Gillane, S Flanagan, C Lynch. Subs: D McCarthy, C Boylan, P Casey, C Coughlan, A English, G Mulcahy, B Murphy, A O’Connor, F O’Connor, D O Dalaigh, M Quinlan.

WEXFORD (SHC v Antrim) – M Fanning; S Reck, C Foley, N Murphy; S Donohoe, D Reck, M O’Hanlon; C Hearne, K Foley; L Og McGovern, L Chin, C Dunbar; R Lawlor, S Casey, R O’Connor. Subs: A Duggan, E Ryan, C McDonald, M Dwyer, D Carley, C Byrne, C Devitt, J Doran, T Kinsella, Jack O’Connor, Joe O’Connor.

ANTRIM – R Elliott; N O’Connor, R McGarry, P Burke; G Walsh, C Boyd, C Bohill; S Elliott, E Campbell; N Elliott, K Molloy, J McNaughton; C Cunning, N McKenna, C McCann. Subs: T Smith, P Duffy, R McCloskey, S Rooney, E Og McGarry, F McCurry, M Bradley, C McKeown, A O’Brien, R McMullan, J McLaughlin.

DUBLIN (SHC v Carlow) – S Brennan; J Bellew, P Smyth, P Doyle; C Crummey, C Donohoe, E O’Donnell; M Grogan, C Burke; R Hayes, D Burke, B Hayes; D Sutcliffe, C O’Sullivan, S Currie. Subs: E Gibbons, J Madden, D Gray, S Gallagher, E Moran, P Crummey, D Power, D Purcell, F Whitely, J Malone, C Currie.

CARLOW – B Tracey; P Doyle, D Wall, N Bolger; J Kavanagh, K McDonald, F Fitzpatrick; C Whelan, R Coady; J Nolan, C Nolan, M Kavanagh; C Kehoe, JM Nolan, P Boland. Subs: C Abbey, T Lawlor, J McCullagh, F O’Toole, C Lawlor, S Joyce, S Treacy, J Doyle, E Kealy, L Doyle, D Murphy.

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