Kenny ready to start for Offaly as Wexford"s injury problems mount

Defensive ace David Kenny has recovered from injury to take his place at full-back on the Offaly team for tomorrow evening"s Leinster SHC quarter-final against Wexford at Wexford Park (Saturday, 7pm). Kenny"s involvement had been put in some doubt due to a hamstring injury. However, the Belmont clubman has proved his fitness to manager Joe Dooley and has been named at No 3 on the team line-up. While several young players gained valuable experience with Offaly last year, the team for the Wexford clash includes no championship debutants. Team captain Ger Oakley, who is the only survivor from Offaly"s 1998 All-Ireland winning team, is named at centre-back, while Kevin Brady moves from his usual wing-back slot to midfield, with Rory Hanniffy going in the opposite direction. Brady"s brother Joe, who was red carded in the recent SHC match between Coolderry and Birr, leads the attack. Closer to goal, manager"s son Shane Dooley joins Brian Carroll and Joe Bergin in an exciting full-forward line. Kinnitty"s James Rigney is preferred to the fit-against Diarmuid Horan - who has decided to spend the summer in the US - at left half-back. OFFALY TEAM Offaly (SH v Wexford): B Mullins; D Franks, D Kenny, P Cleary; R Hanniffy, G Oakley (captain), J Rigney; K Brady, B Murphy; D Currams, J Brady, D Molloy; B Carroll, J Bergin, S Dooley. Meanwhile, an already depleted Wexford camp have suffered yet another injury blow ahead of the Leinster championship opener against Offaly with the news that defender Stephen Nolan has been ruled out with a groin problem. Model County manager Colm Bonnar was already planning without such key players as Eoin Quigley, Barry Lambert, Colm Farrell, Keith Rossiter and Darren Stamp, before this latest injury setback. 'Stephen damaged a groin in training over the weekend which rules him out,' Bonnar said. 'He"s out for up to three weeks which is a huge blow given our injury list at present.' Bonnar has named three debutants in his side for the Wexford Park clash - Tomas Waters, Andrew Shore and Peter Atkinson. Waters and Shore come into the half forward line, while Atkinson starts at top of the left. Richie Kehoe takes over from the injured Stephen Nolan at centre-back, while David "Doc" O"Connor is recalled to a defence that is notable for the absence of injured duo Darren Stamp and Keith Rossiter. As expected, Stephen Banville starts at full-forward after successfully appealing against a four-week ban. Tomorrow evening"s match will be televised "live" on RTE 2 (throw-in 7pm). WEXFORD TEAM Wexford (SH v Offaly): D Fitzhenry; M Travers, P Roche, D O"Connor; M Jacob, R Kehoe, C Kenny; S Doyle, D Redmond; T Waters, A Shore, D Lyng (captain); R Jacob, S Banville, P Atkinson.