James McCarthy could be back to skipper Dublin against Tyrone next Sunday after making a return to action.
McCarthy lined out at midfield this morning for Ballymun Kickhams in a league game against neighbours Na Fianna, the club of Dublin boss Dessie Farrell, who was in attendance as the Mobhi Road outfit scored a four-point win.
But the 32-year-old came through unscathed and was reported to have been moving well in what was his first appearance since Dublin’s O’Byrne Cup campaign, having been sidelined by a hamstring injury as they slipped to four successive League defeats for the first time in almost 50 years.
After the uncertainty that surrounded Stephen Cluxton’s position last year, McCarthy has apparently been offered the captaincy by Farrell for 2022 and with the Dubs facing the prospect of a first League relegation since 1995, the manager may well be tempted to fast-track the eight-time All-Ireland winner’s return for the trip to Omagh, with the team desperately in need of points.
It remains to be seen whether Con O’Callaghan, who has yet to feature this year, will be available to face the All-Ireland champions, with the fixture essentially a must-win for Dublin if they are to avoid the drop.
Should they slip to a fifth defeat on the spin and results elsewhere go against them, they could be relegated with two games to spare.
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