Conal Keaney should be back in a Dublin hurling shirt earlier than expected. He’s been out since last July with cruciate knee ligament damage but says he now expects to be in the squad for the Championship opener against Offaly at the end of May. Peter Kelly looks to be over a knee injury in time for this weekend’s National League opener against Galway. Joe Canning is out for the Tribes’ – he’ll miss around a month of action after damaging his shoulder on Fitzgibbon Cup duty yesterday.

It’s also emerged that Irish Olympic gold medallist Michael Carruth has joined Anthony Daly’s Dublin backroom staff. He’s the team massage therapist and has also taken boxing sessions with some of the injured Dubs.