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Sean O'Shea went off injured at half-time of Kerry's clash with Dublin yesterday. Bryan Keane/INPHO
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Loss of forward pair to injuries another issue for Kerry to face after Dublin defeat

Paul Geaney and Sean O’Shea both went off at half time of yesterday’s game in Croke Park.

KERRY LOST FORWARDS Sean O’Shea and Paul Geaney at half-time of yesterday’s clash with Dublin at Croke Park due to injury and manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice will have to wait before discovering if they will be available to face Kildare next Saturday night.

Kerry succumbed to an eventual 12-point loss to Dublin in a match where they trailed by three points at the break. 2016 All-Ireland minor winning captain O’Shea and All-Star winner for the past two seasons Geaney were conspicuous by their absence in the second half.

They both notched a point from play in the first half and had Kerry’s two best goal chances – Geaney finding the butt of the upright with a close-range shot and O’Shea screwing a shot wide with just the covering Jonny Cooper to beat in the Dublin rearguard.

Kerry suffered in the absence of the pair and will be mindful of the importance of having them available to meet the Lilywhites. Successive defeats to Galway and Dublin leave them locked on four points in Division 1 with Tyrone and Mayo, while Donegal are still fighting to avoid the drop on two points and Kildare are rooted to the bottom after five defeats.

“I think Sean O’Shea and Paul Geaney, certainly losing them at half-time was a factor,” remarked Fitzmaurice after yesterday’s loss in Croke Park.

“We lost a bit of impetus and direction up front but look we just have to learn from it. We just have to move on and like as I said, it was a pretty chastening experience for all of us.

“They both were injured, they were gone at half time. I don’t know what their situation is at the moment with regard to next weekend. They both got knocks so that was it.”

Kerry were robbed of forward Stephen O’Brien after he incurred a hamstring injury this week but David Moran did get on in the second half for his first contribution of the 2018 season.

The situation regarding the return of other players is unclear as they continue to bounce back from injury with Donnchadh Walsh, Darran O’Sullivan, James O’Donoghue, Anthony Maher, Killian Young and Johnny Buckley amongst those absent from the 26-man squad yesterday.

“(Stephen O’Brien) had a bit of a hamstring injury,” outlined Fitzmaurice.

“We would be hoping next weekend but we will have to wait and see.

“Donnchadh won’t be back, Darran maybe. He was playing county league today so hopefully with that game under his belt it’ll bring him a bit further down the line

“There’s been complications with some of the lads returning. We’d have liked them back a bit sooner but it hasn’t happened for different reasons so we just go with what we have.”

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