A DECISION WILL be made after this weekend on whether Dublin star Con O’Callaghan will be available to line out for UCD in next Tuesday’s Sigerson Cup semi-final against UUJ.
O’Callaghan is a key figure for reigning All-Ireland club hurling champions Cuala who face Galway’s Liam Mellows at the semi-final stage in Thurles on Saturday.
The 2017 Young Footballer of the Year has not featured for UCD in the Sigerson Cup this season but was on the sideline for yesterday’s quarter-final win over DCU.
“It all depends on how Cuala get on at the weekend and how Con feels himself,” said UCD boss John Divilly ahead of their last four clash with Jordanstown.
“He is part of the panel, if he declares that he can play, he can play. If he can’t, he can’t. I’m not putting pressure on Con, he knows himself.
“It will all become clear.”
Divilly will be keeping a close eye to see how his this weekend’s league action unfolds with several of his players involved.
Tipperary duo Jimmy Feehan and Liam Casey, Kerry pair Barry O’Sullivan and Jack Barry, Mayo’s Stephen Coen, Laois players Eoin Lowry and Evan O’Carroll, Monaghan’s Conor McCarthy and Antrim’s Peter Healy all featured for their county teams last weekend.
Liam Silke, a second-half substitute yesterday, has an All-Ireland club semi-final date with Galway’s Corofin against Moorefield on Saturday week, 17 February.
But former Galway All-Ireland winner Divilly points out all the Sigerson Cup semi-finalists face the same issue.
“It is (busy) but there is no time on us dwelling on that, the boys know if they are playing Tuesday night against Jordanstown, we’ll see them Sunday night for a pool session.
“I won’t know what we have to pick from until Sunday night and there is no point in me worrying about it or ringing inter-county managers.
“Everyone is in the same boat. So look whatever we have we have, that’s why you carry a panel of 35. If one or two guys drop out because of injuries, another one or two just step in.”
Next week’s last four clash will be a repeat of last year’s quarter-final tie which saw UCD triumph by 1-18 to 0-9 and Divilly can call on ten of the players that saw action at some stage during that match.
“They beat us in the league this year,” remarked Divilly.
“Obviously they had a very good win yesterday I haven’t seen anything of it.
“We played them last year, we’ve locked horns the last couple of years, they are a serious side as well I know there is a lot of talk around the county that they’ve always had good players and didn’t have the best spirit.
“To me that’s a big insult to any college players or management because that’s not true. Every college that goes out has great spirit. Paul Rouse and the lads have done great work up there. They have spirit, they have good footballers, like ourselves it’s a 50-50 game.”
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