FOR THE FIRST time in 2017, Jim Gavin has a full panel to chose from as Dublin prepare for an All-Ireland semi-final showdown with Tyrone.
Gavin gave little away as regards the potential return of Diarmuid Connolly to the starting 15 for the clash on Sunday week, with his 12-week ban set to end the night before they face the Red Hand.
“Yeah, we just have to wait and see as we get closer to the game,” he said about the possibility of the St Vincent’s forward featuring.
“He is doing his own thing. He is on his own programme. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Gavin also confirmed that Cormac Costello will come back into the reckoning after his return from a long-standing injury.
“Cormac Costello is back now as well, he’s worked really diligently at his return to play. (We have a) full squad to pick from. Everyone is fit.”
Michael Darragh Macauley and Paul Flynn made their first championship appearances of the year off the bench against Monaghan, and Gavin was pleased with their return to the field.
“The first thing I’d say is that we don’t hand out jerseys, both of them earned the right to return to the field of play based on what we saw in front of our eyes in training. So they’ve been training really well over the last number of weeks.
“They got those jerseys on merit. (The) biggest strength of this team is their sense of collective and they understand that they’re the sum of their parts and Paul and Michael Darragh came in and did their bit for the team.
“It’s been a long road for both of them, as it has been for a number of players.”
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