Kerry and Mayo sweating on fitness of David Clifford and Ryan O’Donoghue

Both teams are expected to be named tonight and interest will focus on whether the main attacking threats for both will be fit to line out.

Clifford’s calf injury, which kept him out of the Munster final win over Limerick, has been generating some speculation and conversation in Kerry and further afield for the last two weeks, the suggestion being that it is more serious that initially thought.

But on Monday Kerry manager Jack O’Connor provided a somewhat guarded prognosis by stating that the three-time All-Star “should” be available for the game. The Kerry squad had a training camp in the Fota Island resort on the weekend before last and Clifford was understood to have been involved in that.

O’Donoghue has missed the last two Mayo games against Monaghan and Kildare because of a groin injury.

He hasn’t been named on the match-day squad for those games but there is more hope in Mayo that he is now closer to a return.

Meanwhile, Wexford have allayed fears over Rory O’Connor’s immediate future, confirming that the injury he limped out of last weekend’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat against Clare with is not a cruciate tear. O’Connor is expected to be ready for St Martin’s club championship campaign.