BRIAN CODY KNEW that Michael Fennelly would play no part in next month’s All-Ireland final just minutes after Kilkenny saw off the challenge of Waterford in an epic semi-final replay at Semple Stadium.
Fennelly will miss the September 4 clash with Tipperary after it was confirmed that he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon against the Déise.
But Cody was certain when Kilkenny got back to a victorious dressing room that he would have to plan without his powerhouse midfielder for the biggest day on the hurling calendar.
“When we went back into the dressing-room after the game,” said Cody, when asked how soon it was before he realised that Fennelly’s injury was season-ending.
“He was there with the physios and the doc and that and they were pretty certain that the Achilles was ruptured.
“Obviously a scan has to fully determined but from the time it happened, it was very pessimistic.
“It’s a huge blow for any guy involved in sport. The biggest game of the year and he can’t play in it.
“Obviously he’s had a huge influence in us getting to the final, no doubt about that. He has it all.
“He’s been a huge influence for us for a long, long time now. He’s put massive work in to it.
“He works on it every year and it hasn’t always been easy for him from an injury point of view. This year, he got a better run at it.
“He got a decent bit of work done early on in the year in the whole area of conditioning and physical preparation.
“I think he was coming into terrific form. I thought the last day he was outstanding. And it’s a massive blow for Michael.”
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Fennelly’s absence will force Cody into a change in personnel for another final clash with Tipp.
And while there have been suggestions that Kilkenny’s strength in depth isn’t what it once was, Cody is happy with what he has.
He added: “The trust in our panel is something that we would have very, very much, even though our panel is not see now as being particularly strong.
“I think we are a very, very strong panel. There are serious decisions every day we sit down to pick the team.
“There are no guarantees who will play the next day. I couldn’t name you the team now because I don’t know it. You will go with an instinct for a couple of positions.
“You don’t replace Michael Fennelly with Michael Fennelly because he doesn’t exist. We’ll look at all the options, who knows who’ll play and we’ll take it from there. But Michael won’t be playing and the team will line out as it lines out – we’ll see what happens.”
And Cody believes that Fennelly, 31, can prolong his inter-county career when he returns to full fitness next year.
He added: “I would think that that would be his determination. Obviously surgery is surgery and he is in the hands of a top surgeon and the rehab and the physio will go ahead.
“It’s a totally personal decision for Michael after that.”
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